CRIME

Madison County woman charged in theft from group that includes Georgia sheriffs as members

Wayne Ford
Athens Banner-Herald

An employee for the Constitutional Officers Association of Georgia was arrested this week on charges that she stole thousands of dollars from the organization, whose members include elected county officials from tax commissioners to sheriffs.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation secured five felony warrants charging theft by taking for a 42-year-old Hull woman, according to a GBI statement released Thursday.

The GBI did not immediately divulge the amount of missing money. A spokesman for the agency said that is still being determined, but it goes into the thousands.

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The suspect was booked into the Madison County Jail on Wednesday and then released on a personal recognizance bond, according to jail records.

The investigation began in July after the Northern Circuit District Attorney’s Office requested the GBI look into theft allegations after the alleged crime was reported by board officers with COAG.

The COAG officers found several unauthorized transactions from May 2018 to June 2022, the GBI reported. During the suspect's employment, the GBI said she had access to money in the organization’s bank account. The organization has a mailing address in Hull. 

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The COAG is made up of elected officials in the state that includes the offices of Clerk of Court, probate judges, tax commissioners and sheriffs.

The president of the organization is White County Tax Commissioner Cindy Cannon. She could not be reached for comment on Thursday.

The GBI announced that the investigation is still active and anyone with information may contact the Athens office at (706) 552-2309. Anonymous tips can be made to 1-800-597-8477.