Former Franklin Chamber secretary charged with theft of gov't funds

Cindy Smith turned herself in Friday, where she was charged and booked by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Mrs. Smith, former executive secretary of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, was arrested and charged with one count of theft by taking of over $70,000 in Franklin County government funds, and four counts of forgery. The forgery charges are directly related to the theft of the Franklin County government funds. The forgery charges are related to various names that Cindy Smith used and forged in connection with the theft of Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Government funds. It has been revealed the theft of these funds took place over the course of December 2005 through May 2008.

At this time, the investigation reveals that no other persons had any knowledge or involvement of the thefts to include her husband, Gary Smith, who is the jail administrator of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

Cindy Smith was later released on $70,000 property bond.

Franklin County Sheriff Steve Thomas requested in May that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in Athens to investigate allegations of misappropriation of funds from the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and the Franklin County Industrial Authority.

Over the past several weeks, an audit was conducted which revealed just over $70,000 in funds unaccounted for.