A federal grand jury in Nashville, Tennessee, returned a two-count indictment against former teacher Tad Cummins on Wednesday.  Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith of the Middle District of Tennessee announced the indictment on Thursday.

WKRN reports that Cummins, 50, was indicted on obstruction of justice and “transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual conduct.” According to the indictment, Cummins was charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly destroying the cellphone of the 15-year-old teen he’s accused of abducting.

The former health sciences teacher was arrested on April 20, in Siskiyou County, California, after being on the run with his former student for 38 days. Prosecutors allege that he abducted the teen girl, changed her appearance, and took her thousands of miles away from her Maury County, Tennessee, home for the purpose of engaging in criminal sexual conduct.

Cummins was arrested without incident, and waived a detention hearing while standing before the U.S. Magistrate in Sacramento, California, on April 24, 2017. He was then transferred back to Tennessee for additional proceedings.

On May 12, Cummins appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes in Nashville. He was denied bail and sent back to jail to await the grand jury’s decision.

Cummins pleaded not guilty to all charges. If convicted, he could face anywhere from 10 years to life in prison, along with substantial fines.

Tad Cummins Grand Jury Indictment by Leigh Egan on Scribd

[Feature Photo: TBI]