Former Spalding Employee Arrested

Alteria Williams, a former employee of the Spalding County Tax Commissioner’s Office, has been arrested on theft and computer crime related charges stemming from an investigation conducted by the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Sheriff Darrell Dix, “I was contacted by Spalding County Tax Commissioner Sylvia Hollums about irregularities they had noticed in operations over a period of several months both prior to, and after the first of the year. Once she notified us of the issues, she requested that we temporarily place the investigation on hold for her to review records and rule out any clerical errors that may have been made by staff in light of their recent move to their new office location. The review combined with Williams missing a significant amount of time from work due to illness slowed the investigation. During this period, Mrs. Hollums moved forward with new accounting procedures for her office.”

 

“After the delays were concluded, Mrs. Hollums contacted us again, and an investigator was assigned to assist in getting a clearer picture of what was happening. Working in cooperation with her staff, we quickly discovered that thefts had in fact occurred, began tracking them back, and linked them to Williams.”

“While we were in the middle of investigating the thefts, Mrs. Hollums notified us that a citizen had reached out to her staff regarding a delinquent tax notice he had received. The citizen told her staff that he had paid his taxes in the Tax Commissioner’s Office in cash on May 16, 2023, but still received notice that his taxes had not been paid. The customer returned on May 30, 2023, to pay additional taxes but again was not given a receipt at the time of the transaction. He returned on May 31, 2023, and requested the receipts. According to the citizen each time he visited he went to the same window and the same clerk. The clerk, Alteria Williams, had told him she couldn’t provide them on his previous visits because her printer was broken. During his visit on May 31st, Williams issued him what was later found to be a fraudulent receipt for the transactions.”

“Right now we are looking at everything that may have occurred. Situations where customers who made payments in cash at William’s window were never given receipts, made payments and their accounts not credited, records altered to show lesser amounts paid by the customer, or refunds noted as being given to customers that never

 

really occurred. Any of these situations are possible at this point and that’s what we are looking at as we move forward. ”

 

“Alteria Williams B/F, 27, turned herself in to the Spalding County Jail yesterday, June 22, 2023, and is currently in custody awaiting her first appearance hearing. She has been charged with 2 misdemeanor counts of theft by taking, and 2 felony counts of computer forgery.”

 

“These charges encompass only what we have found up until now, but there is reason to believe that she may have committed additional thefts that will be discovered as we continue the investigation. If that is in fact found to be true, she will face criminal charges for those thefts as well.”

 

“We have recommended to Mrs. Hollums that the Tax Commissioner’s Office seek an independent forensic audit of its records encompassing the entire two years of William’s employment as soon as possible.”

 

“Spalding County Tax Commissioner Sylvia Hollums and her staff have been very cooperative and forthcoming with any information and records we have needed, and there is no indication that thefts have occurred involving any other employees in the Tax Commissioner’s Office.”