Russell County Sheriff Warns of Scam Calls

Residents receive calls from someone posing as a deputy demanding money to clear warrants

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The Russell County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a scam in which someone is calling and posing as a sheriff's deputy named Sergeant David Butler. The caller claims the resident has outstanding warrants and demands money to clear them, and has even tried to impersonate the actual Sheriff Derek Polston. Polston advises the public that there is no deputy by that name and the sheriff's office does not conduct business in this manner, urging residents to avoid providing any personal or financial information.

Why it matters

Scam calls like these can be very convincing and lead to victims losing money or having their identities stolen. The sheriff's warning aims to raise awareness and prevent local residents from falling prey to this particular scam targeting the community.

The details

According to Sheriff Polston, some Russell County residents have received calls from an individual claiming to be Sergeant David Butler with the Russell County Sheriff's Office. The caller states the resident has outstanding warrants and demands money to remove them. The scammer has also attempted to impersonate Sheriff Polston himself during these calls.

  • The sheriff's office began receiving reports of these scam calls in recent weeks.

The players

Russell County Sheriff's Office

The law enforcement agency for Russell County, Kentucky that is investigating and warning the public about these scam calls.

Sheriff Derek Polston

The sheriff of Russell County, Kentucky who is advising residents about the scam calls and impersonation of his office.

Sergeant David Butler

A fictional sheriff's deputy that the scammer is posing as in calls to residents.

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What they’re saying

“There is no David Butler that works with the sheriff's office and the sheriff's office does not conduct law enforcement business in this manner.”

— Sheriff Derek Polston (lakercountry.com)

“If the sheriff's office needs to contact you, they will come to your residence or ask you to come to the courthouse to the sheriff's office.”

— Sheriff Derek Polston (lakercountry.com)

What’s next

The sheriff's office is investigating the source of the scam calls.

The takeaway

This scam highlights the importance of verifying the legitimacy of any calls claiming to be from law enforcement before providing any personal or financial information. Residents should contact the sheriff's office directly if they have concerns about warrants or other law enforcement matters.