Former Worth County Sheriff Jeff Hobby takes plea deal

SYLVESTER — Former Worth County Sheriff Jeff Hobby on Wednesday entered guilty pleas to three counts of violation of oath of office. The plea resolved all pending criminal charges against Hobby, who immediately resigned from his position as Worth County Sheriff.

Hobby requested Chief Judge Bill Reinhardt sentence him as a first offender, to which District Attorney Paul Bowden objected. Following arguments from both sides, Reinhardt sentenced Hobby under provisions of first offender related to the two indictments of an illegal search at Worth County High School and a recording device that was located in the attorney-client interview room.

As a result of the deal, though, Hobby is now a convicted felon.

He was initially indicted in October of last year in connection with the illegal search at Worth County High School in April of 2017. During that incident, more than 700 students were searched at the direction of Hobby. He released a statement to the media the week after the search, alleging he had directed his officers to conduct a pat-down and not a search and that one deputy had exceeded his direction.

An ensuing GBI investigation determined that statement was not truthful.

Hobby further threatened that any employee caught discussing the case would be fired. Shortly after that meeting, an employee of the sheriff’s office was forced to resign because he had discussed the school search with someone not employed by Hobby.

As a result of that investigation, Hobby was indicted for violation of oath of office, 14 counts of intimidating a witness, and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

In the recording device indictment, a GBI investigation, prompted by interim Sheriff Bobby Sapp, found the device had been planted in July of 2017 in connection to the arrest of Zack Hobby, the sheriff’s son, on drug-related charges. Jeff Hobby was again indicted for an oath of office violation and 89 counts of invasion of privacy.

“The District Attorney’s Office is hopeful that the resolution of this case will allow the victims, Worth County Sheriff’s Department and the community to begin the healing process,” Bowden said.