x
Breaking News
More () »

Snellville mayor surrenders to police

Mayor Thomas Witts surrendered to police on Thursday after being indicted last week on more than five dozen charges of misusing campaign funds.
IMAGE GWINNETT COUNTY JAIL

Mayor Thomas Witts surrendered to police on Thursday after being indicted last week on more than five dozen charges of misusing campaign funds.

Witts turned himself in around 12:30 and was released shortly after 1 p.m. on a $20,000 bond, according to Gwinnett police.

A grand jury has formally charged Witts with making false statements, concealing facts, theft by conversion, false swearing and tax evasion.

RELATED | Snellville mayor accused of using campaign funds for cruises, adult websites

According to documents from Gwinnett County District Attorney's office, Witts is accused of filing false tax returns from 2011 to 2015, then filing false amendments to them. The documents then allege Witts lied about it under oath, stating the Snellville mayor knew he owed taxes.

Beyond that, the indictment said Witts used campaign funds for several years for personal use. According to the documents, the mayor and former city councilman used those funds to purchase cruises on Royal Caribbean, flights on Spirit and Delta Airlines and subscriptions to adult websites.

Snellville city manager Butch Sanders issued this statement after Witts was released by police:

"In the three years since our last immersion in the legal system, we as a city and a community have come a long way. We have added to our park system, greatly improved sanitation services, grown public confidence in our police services in the face of difficult nationwide issues and made a great start on building a Towne Center.

"With the public’s support, we will carry these efforts forward as the mayor addresses his issues and we will keep Tom and Carol in our thoughts and prayers. We have cooperated with the district attorney’s investigation fully and will continue to be governed by the law as directed by our city attorney."

Before You Leave, Check This Out