COLUMBUS — A fourth suspect has pleaded guilty in connection with the stealing of nearly $500,000 from a Georgia county clerk’s office.
Terry McBride entered his plea Tuesday on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, the Ledger-Enquirer reported. The 44-year-old was indicted in August with seven others, including former Muscogee County deputy court clerk Willie Demps.
Samuel Cole, George Cook and Lamarcus Palmer have also pleaded in the case. They are all scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 15.
Demps is accused of writing clerk’s office checks to accomplices, who cashed them at Columbus banks. Authorities say the group took at least $467,331 from January 2019 to November 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melvin Hyde said McBride cashed checks for Demps 38 times between March and November that year. The amounts ranged from $2,438 to $9,725.
McBride initially told investigators he was a bail bondsman and was entitled to clerk’s office funds, according to Hyde. The attorney said McBride must pay $299,285 in restitution. He faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Authorities believe more government funds are missing in connection with the case. In August, an FBI agent testified that the clerk’s office received $5.9 million in cash between 2010 and 2019 but only $210 was deposited into court accounts during that time.
Demps of Phenix City, Alabama, worked for the clerk’s office in neighboring Georgia for about three decades. Hyde has said authorities suspect Demps took at least $1.5 million over the years.
The former deputy clerk and three others have yet to resolve their charges in the case. U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land said he expects pretrial hearings to be held in November and any trials to start in January.
