Georgia court clerk accused of stealing at least $1.3M in fines over nearly a decade

MUSCOGEE COUNTY, Ga. — A former Georgia court clerk accused of stealing money from fines and fees his office collected was sentenced Thursday to more than 12 years in federal prison.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

A U.S. District Court judge in Columbus imposed the sentence for 64-year-old Willie Demps of neighboring Phenix City, Alabama. Demps pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion charges in the case earlier this year.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Teen threatened to kill Fulton sheriff, wife if YSL member wasn’t released from jail, deputies say
• 70 Georgia churches granted right to disaffiliate from United Methodist Church
• Nurse arrested after alleged drug deal with inmate caught on camera inside Coweta County Jail

Federal prosecutors said Demps committed fraud that cost Muscogee County millions of dollars when he served as deputy court clerk for approximately 30 years. Demps was responsible for fines, fees and other payments the office collected — often in cash that was kept in an office safe.

Investigators found the office took in $5.5 million during a decade-long period spanning 2010 to 2019, but only $210 was deposited into official accounts in 2019. No cash deposits were made in any other years and bank records were not available before 2010.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

During that same period, prosecutors said, Demps wrote 330 separate checks from the clerk’s office totaling $1.3 million to several accomplices, who cashed the checks and received a cut after giving the money to Demps.

Demps admitted that he used the money for personal expenses, to send money to foreign countries and to spend at casinos.

“Rather than serve the people of Muscogee County, Willie Demps served only himself. Over the course of many years, Demps used his position of trust to steal millions of dollars from Muscogee County taxpayers to fund his gambling habit and pay for a variety of personal expenses,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to commend the investigators with the FBI, IRS and Columbus Police Department for their meticulous and relentless effort to seek justice in this case.”

Judge Clay Land ordered Demps to pay $1.3 million in restitution to the clerk’s office and nearly $360,000 in uncollected taxes to the IRS, with payments coming from garnishment of Demps’ retirement benefits.

Five other defendants were also sentenced for crimes related to the fraud case.

Teen threatened to kill Fulton sheriff, wife if YSL member wasn’t released from jail, deputies say Quartavius Mender is charged with 23 felony counts of terroristic threats.

©2022 Cox Media Group