LINCOLN COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 News Now) — A former Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputy is facing charges of first degree official misconduct, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of public trust following an investigation by Kentucky State Police, the agency reports. According to a release, t he KSP Drug Enforcement Special Investigations Branch received a misconduct tip regarding the conduct of then-deputy Ron Luster in January 2026. Lincoln County Sheriff Shawn Stines was notified of the allegations and immediately suspended Luster, KSP reports. On Friday, Luster was indicted on those charges by the Lincoln County Grand Jury, and was arrested and lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center. In a statement to social media, the sheriff’s department confirmed that Luster had been fired due to “an administrative investigation concluded by Sheriff Shawn Hines in conjunction with the criminal investigation conducted by the Kentucky State Police.” According to LCSO, the investigation found four department policy and procedure violations. Categories: Featured, Local News, News ...read more read less