A report by the office of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury accuses longtime Surgoinsville official Hanes Cooper of misappropriating funds. He’s accused of taking more than 65-Thousand Dollars since 1998 in his capacity as a commissioner on the Surgoinsville Water Utility. Cooper, a Hawkins County Commissioner, is not charged with a crime, but prosecutors reportedly plan to present the evidence to a Hawkins County grand jury. Cooper was mayor of Surgoinsville most recently from 2002 to 2006 but had previously served on the Surgoinsville Board of Mayor and Aldermen for nearly four decades as either mayor or alderman. Meanwhile, former Vice Mayor Charles “Otis” Lawson is also at the center of the allegations involving misappropriations, unlawful conflicts of interest and a kickback.