A Georgia woman who worked as a police officer and evidence custodian has been arrested after investigators say she stole money from the police department’s evidence room.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 61-year-old Donna Jean Kelley of Cartersville was arrested on Sept. 24 and charged with violation of oath, first-degree forgery, and felony theft by taking.
The investigation began on May 27, when the Cartersville Police Department asked the GBI to investigate missing money from its evidence room.
According to the GBI, agents determined that Kelley stole money from the evidence room while she was employed by the Cartersville Police Department as an officer and evidence custodian.
Money Goes Missing
The GBI did not say exactly how much money was stolen or how they connected Kelley to it. Additional details about what Kelley exactly forged were not mentioned either.
Kelley was booked into the Bartow County Jail on Sept. 24, according to the GBI. Her charges include violation of oath, first-degree forgery, and felony theft by taking.
What It Means
The charges could carry significant penalties if Kelley is convicted.
Georgia law allows a sentence of one to five years for violation of a public officer’s oath.
First-degree forgery occurs when someone knowingly makes, alters, or possesses a writing with the intent to defraud and then utters or delivers it in a manner that falsely represents who made it or had authority to make it. The GBI has not said what Kelley allegedly forged.
Theft by taking can also carry enhanced punishment when a government employee takes property in breach of their official duties, with Georgia law allowing one to 15 years in prison in those circumstances.
Investigation Started in May
According to the GBI, the Cartersville Police Department requested the GBI’s involvement on May 27, after discovering the missing money, turning the investigation over to state agents.
The GBI said the investigation remains ongoing. Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be provided to the Bartow County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Calhoun at (706) 624-1424. Anonymous tips can also be submitted at 1-800-597-TIPS.
An arrest or criminal charge is not a finding of guilt. Kelley is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.