GBI probe of embezzled Albany court funds forwarded to Georgia attorney general

ALBANY — A long-awaited report on alleged embezzlement from the Albany Municipal Court office has been completed and has been forwarded to state officials for additional investigation.

The office of Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards announced on Monday that it will enlist the assistance of the state’s attorney general to complete the investigation.

“As many are aware from previous news reports, certain past practices in the Albany Municipal Court have come under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and that initial investigation is complete” Edwards said in an email statement.

The referral “is being done because this (case) involves judicial practices in our community, and the attorney general’s office has expertise and the resources to better engage this type of matter,” the Dougherty DA said.

Edwards requested assistance from the GBI in the fall of 2019 after allegations surfaced of theft of money from the court office. Part of the agency’s work was conducting a forensic audit of finances to determine how much money may have been stolen.

Edwards had previously said that his office could seek indictments in the case in late 2021 or early 2022.

With the transfer of the case to the state, Edwards said on Monday that his office would not be making further comments while that investigation is underway.

“The attorney general’s resources are an added tool in our office’s arsenal to further such investigations, and this allows my team of prosecutors to focus on the violent crimes in our community, such as murder and armed robbery,” Edwards said.

The Herald sent a request to the GBI for additional information about the report, but the information was not immediately made available.

File Photo: Carlton FletcherFile Photo: Carlton Fletcher