The Georgia Bureau of Investigation recently relieved one of its agents of her duties, which was quickly followed by her resignation. Facing criminal charges for racketeering, she spent only hours behind jail before posting her $100,000 bond. Her arrest followed a decades-long career at the GBI.
The GBI was first notified of possibly irregular activities on the agent’s purchase card at the beginning of Aug. 2016. A routine audit performed by the Department of Administrative Services had allegedly discovered approximately 350 improper transactions. Those transactions totaled more than $87,000, all of which had been submitted to the bureau’s card management system.
An internal investigation into the criminal allegations apparently discovered that the former agent had purchased items with her p-card that were then shipped to her place of residence rather than her workplace. Investigators believe that she might have altered some of the invoices related to those purchases in order to make it seem as if they were legitimate. A search warrant was executed by GBI agents, although it is not clear what — if anything — was found in her home.
The former agent voluntarily turned herself in when the criminal charges were filed, which is not an uncommon action for defendants who are aware of active warrants. This also does not indicate guilt on behalf of the defendant, as each and every person charged with a criminal act in Georgia is considered innocent under the law during both criminal and trial proceedings. However, it can still be advantageous for defendants to take action in a timely manner towards creating a thorough defense strategy.
Source: 11alive.com, “Veteran GBI inspector jailed on racketeering charge”, Christopher Buchanan, Aug. 31, 2016
