The mayor of Waynesboro has been charged with theft and fraud.
Gregory Carswell faces two counts each of “felony theft by deception” and “identity theft fraud when using/possessing identifying information concerning a person,” local media reported following Monday’s arrest by the Statesboro Police Department.
Waynesboro is a small town in east Georgia, about 30 miles south of Augusta.
Carswell was freed after posting a $10,000 bond, The Augusta Chronicle reported, citing the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office.
Burke County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Lewis Blanchard said Carswell told him the situation was potentially a misunderstanding from when he worked at a title pawn business in Statesboro.
In a statement, Carswell said he voluntarily turned himself in and that he was not sure about the details of the case. He also proclaimed his innocence and said he will fight the charges, which suggest several identities may have been compromised, including his.
“We plan to work with authorities to address these issues and make sure that the persons responsible will be arrested and convicted,” Carswell said in the statement posted on his Facebook page.
He said his attorney, Grady Blanchard, has told him to limit his conversation about the case, as the investigation is ongoing.
WJBF-TV reported that three years ago, the Waynesboro City Council questioned Carswell’s use of city dollars, including more than $2,000 for a trip to Philadelphia, personal trips in a city car and personal use of a city credit card.
Carswell apologized during a council meeting in November 2017 “for the discord my intentions caused.”
He said at the time that he would repay $2,601.94 to the city.
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