SWEETWATER, Tenn. (WVLT) - An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller's Office revealed that officials with the City of Sweetwater made questionable credit card purchases totaling more than $130,000 over the course of nearly a decade.

According to the investigation, city officials made purchases totaling $132,680.03 from December 2014 through June 2023, including at least $2,615.99 the city paid in taxes and fees.

City officials "frequently dined at restaurants or food trucks located in Sweetwater or nearby cities such as Athens, Cleveland, Crossville, Farragut, Knoxville, Lenoir City, Madisonville, and Spring City," the Comptroller Office's investigation said. However, the city did not have a policy governing the purchase of food, the purpose of the meals or who was present.

Additionally, investigators said city officials made unsupported purchases including Amazon Prime and Adobe subscriptions and equipment and supply purchases, such as diffusers and essential oils.

The Comptroller's Office also said city officials made other questionable purchases totaling $34,165.66 that were coded to an account nicknamed "gun pay."

"Many city employee purchases appeared to be relevant to city business, such as police employees purchasing firearms or several employees purchasing clothing and boots for additional uniforms; however, some city employee purchases appeared to be abusive by benefiting the employee as a payroll advance rather than benefiting the city," investigators said.

According to the Comptroller's Office, the investigation revealed the following deficiencies:

Investigators said city officials "indicated that they have corrected or intend to correct these deficiencies."

WVLT News reached out to the City of Sweetwater for comment but haven't heard back.

Read the full report from the Comptroller's Office below: