LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said a former elections director and a former coroner and judge conspired together to steal more than $400,000 from charities.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
On Friday, the GBI arrested James E. Sheppard, 55, on one count of theft by taking and one county of conspiracy to commit theft by taking.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Crews work to repair hole in bridge that shut down several lanes of I-285 in southwest Atlanta
- As conflict in Ukraine escalates, so do fake donations site looking to get your money
- Developer says Centennial Yards will ‘breathe new life’ into downtown Atlanta
Sheppard’s wife, Rhonda Sheppard, was arrested in December on similar charges. The couple lived in Dahlonega, where Rhonda Sheppard worked as Lumpkin County elections director and James Sheppard had resigned from his job as the county coroner to take a position as an associate magistrate judge.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
A concerned citizen had reported to the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office that the terms of a local resident’s will were not carried out properly by Rhonda Sheppard, who was the executrix. One of the terms involved a large donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
The GBI was called in to investigate and found that the couple had taken more than $400,000 for personal use.
IN OTHER NEWS
©2022 Cox Media Group
