Three deputies employed with the Shannon County Sheriff’s Department face felony charges over multiple allegations including sexual misconduct and forgery, according to documents filed in circuit court.
• Thomas R. Manning, born 1989, is charged in a Nov. 25 warrant with seven counts of sexual conduct in the course of public duty, three counts of first-degree harassment, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of first-degree sodomy or attempted sodomy. His bond was set at $50,000.
• Michael G. McCoy, born 1982, is charged in a Nov. 25 warrant with one count of sexual conduct in the course of public duty and one count of forgery. His bond was set at $15,000.
• John D. Melvin, born 1960, is charged in a Nov. 25 warrant with one count of forgery. His bond was set at $15,000.
Investigation of the deputies was conducted by the Missouri State Highway Patrol at the request of the Howell County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, who informed the patrol it had received allegation about Manning, who’d been formerly employed as a West Plains police officer but was a Shannon County sheriff’s deputy beginning Jan. 1, 2025.
The probable cause statement filed in the Manning case details accounts from eight different women alleging that Manning groped them during searches of their person stemming from traffic stops, made sexual comments about their bodies and in one case searched a phone to locate nude images. The allegations occurred from Jan. 1, 2025, to July 14, 2025.
The probable cause statement filed in the McCoy case alleges he engaged in a romantic affair with an inmate in the Shannon County Jail. The statement alleges the McCoy wrote “I [heart symbol] you” in the inmate’s Bible along with his personal cellphone number. It also quotes the inmates cellmate as hearing the inmate admit to the affair.
When interviewed, the statement says the inmate denied having a sexual relationship with McCoy but did admit to taking nude photos with him in the jury room of the Shannon County Courthouse using his work-assigned cellphone. The inmate also said she’d intimately touched McCoy through his pants.
When interviewed, the statement says McCoy admitted to taking the photos with the inmate and her touching him, but he said he did not request those actions. The statement also says a search of the inmate’s personal property being held at the jail found a business card for McCoy’s scuba diving business.
The probable cause statement filed in the Melvin case alleges that on June 7, 2025, Melvin assaulted a man being booked on charges at the sheriff’s department. The statement alleges Melvin then falsely blamed the victim for assaulting him along with attempting to take him sidearm and flee arrest. Those fictious allegations were included in a probable cause statement later filed against the victim charging him with multiple felony offenses. However, the highway patrol’s investigation reviewed surveillance and body camera footage showing the victim never attempted to flee arrest, assault Melvin or take his side arm.
The statement also alleges the false probable cause statement was completed by McCoy and not Melvin due to Melvin not possessing technology skills or “any level of word processing ability.” Consequently, McCoy allegedly forged Melvin’s signature on the document using Adobe Acrobat.
