Ex-Gwinnett IT deputy director accused of forging documents to redirect county funds
A former Gwinnett County employee is off the job after he was involved in a theft investigation earlier this month.
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On May 15, the Gwinnett County Treasury Division identified suspicious activity related to a vendor payment and contacted the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Authorities launched an investigation into Gwinnett County employee James Smith.
According to investigators, Smith is the Deputy Director of Infrastructure and Operations within the Department of Information Technology.
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Investigators said Smith allegedly altered financial documents to try and redirect county funds.
That led to Smith being arrested Tuesday morning and taken to the Gwinnett County Jail.
He's now facing charges of computer theft, computer forgery and criminal attempt to commit theft by taking.
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Gwinnett County officials shared the following statement with Channel 2 Action News regarding Smith's arrest:
'We are deeply troubled by the recent discovery of potential financial misconduct involving a former Gwinnett County employee,' said Gwinnett County Administrator Glenn Stephens. 'We are committed to transparency and accountability and are fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation into this matter. To preserve the integrity of the process, we will refrain from further comment.'
The investigation is ongoing.
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