A former high-ranking Georgia law enforcement officer has been granted a $5,000 bond after an investigation into accusations involving a developmentally delayed man who worked for his lawn-care business. Robert “Robbie” Silas, 59, appeared in an Augusta courtroom Tuesday in hand and leg shackles following his arrest by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Silas, a former major with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, faces charges of pandering, solicitation of sodomy, and violation of oath of office. While the GBI initially provided few details about what led to those charges, new information first reported by WRDW-TV and detailed by The Augusta Press paints a much more disturbing picture of what investigators say happened.
Silas initially faced a combined $7,000 bond, consisting of $3,000 each for pandering and violation of oath of office and another $1,000 for solicitation of sodomy. According to The Augusta Press, Judge Charles H.S. Lyons lowered the two $3,000 portions to $2,000 each after Silas told the court he wasn’t sure whether he could afford the original amount.
That brought his total bond to $5,000, which Silas was expected to post on Tuesday before being released. Sgt. John Perry with Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs confirmed that Silas’ employment with the department has since been terminated.
Prosecutors Detail Allegations Against Former Sheriff’s Office Major
According to The Augusta Press, warrants read during Tuesday’s hearing and first reported by WRDW-TV allege an incident occurred at a home on Abelia Drive in Augusta between approximately 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on August 24. However, District Attorney Jared Williams told the court that investigators believe the alleged conduct stretches back at least five years.
Prosecutors described the alleged victim as a man with mental developmental delays who worked for Silas’ lawn-care business. Williams said investigators have evidence and witness accounts indicating the man’s pay was affected by whether he performed sexual acts and that there was an expectation he would perform them, according to WRDW’s reporting.
Authorities became aware of the accusations after the man’s fiancée raised concerns last week and contacted his mother. According to The Augusta Press, the mother subsequently placed a camera inside the home, and prosecutors say video captured Silas engaging in a sexual act with the man while Silas was wearing his Richmond County Sheriff’s Office uniform.
State and federal authorities subsequently notified prosecutors that a law enforcement officer was involved, and multiple search warrants have since been signed as investigators continue examining the case. Those warrants reportedly include requests for evidence contained on electronic devices.
Silas told the judge that he wanted an attorney but hadn’t yet had an opportunity to contact one, though he chose to continue with Tuesday’s bond hearing. Prosecutors did not oppose bond, and The Augusta Press reported that the alleged victim had been notified about the hearing but had not responded with a position on Silas’ potential release.
Silas Fired From Richmond County Sheriff’s Office
Silas will face several restrictions while out on bond, including an order prohibiting him from contacting the alleged victim or the man’s family and friends. He also cannot possess firearms or other offensive weapons, must avoid committing additional crimes, and has been ordered to end all financial relationships with the alleged victim.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Silas was arrested by GBI agents at the department’s 400 Walton Way headquarters on August 31. The agency also confirmed that the longtime employee, who had risen through the ranks to major and worked in Special Operations, is no longer employed by the department.
Sheriff Eugene Brantley called the accusations against the former member of his command staff “extremely serious” and said they do not represent the department’s standards or values. Brantley added that employees must be held accountable regardless of their “rank or position” and said the department will continue cooperating with the GBI investigation.
The investigation remains ongoing, meaning the allegations presented during Tuesday’s hearing have not been proven in court. Silas will remain subject to the judicial process on the charges against him, with the GBI continuing its investigation into conduct authorities now say may extend considerably further back than the incident described in the initial warrants.