CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A former Clarksville attorney who was permanently disbarred last fall was sentenced Wednesday to eight years for stealing over $85,000 from his law firm’s client trust account.

Joel David Ragland, 45, took an open guilty plea to the theft on Jan. 15, according to court records. He was ordered to serve one year in jail, with the remaining seven years on supervised probation and must pay $70,250 in restitution. Ragland is scheduled to report to custody on June 15.

He was permanently disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 8, 2025. In its announcement, the Board of Professional Responsibility said Ragland consented to disbarment because he “could not successfully defend himself” against the allegations that he misappropriated client funds by writing unauthorized checks from the trust account.

Audit found $85,236 missing, partners describe impact

As previously reported by Clarksville Now, Clarksville Police opened an investigation in March 2024 after Apex Title partner Eric Yow reported that funds were missing from the firm’s trust account. An internal audit found an estimated $85,236 had been misplaced, according to previous reports.

Detective Breighanna Baker led the investigation, working with Yow and partner Andrea Goble to identify when the funds were taken and how much was missing.

During the investigation, Ragland admitted to writing unauthorized checks from the trust account to his personal bank account and to using some of the funds to pay off a personal loan. In court, he acknowledged the total amount taken was likely higher than the audit estimate.

At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Judge William Goodman III heard testimony from Goble, Yow, and their spouses about the financial strain and personal fallout the theft caused, according to a Facebook statement from the District Attorney’s Office. They described spending hundreds of hours unravelling the missing funds and the toll the case took on their families.

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