Krystal Dawn Ledford
By Becky Long
Publisher
A former captain of the Clay County Detention Center was indicted by the grand jury May 23 on allegations of embezzling money from a fund designated for inmates.
The grand jury returned bills of indictment on charges involving Krystal Dawn Ledford, 37, of Blairsville, Ga. The indictments were four counts of embezzlement by a public official and four counts of accessing a government computer to defraud. All charges are felonies.
According to the indictments, the alleged embezzlements occurred sometime between Sept. 28 and Dec. 20, 2018; Jan. 1 through Dec. 17, 2019; Jan. 31 through Dec. 23, 2020; and Jan. 4 to July 8, 2021.
Ledford turned herself in at the Clay County Detention Center on May 31 and was taken into custody by an SBI agent. After going before a magistrate, she was issued a $160,000 bond and has been released. Her court dates have been set for June 24.
Ledford was captain at the time of the alleged crimes. Then sheriff, Bobby Deese requested the SBI conduct the investigation after a county audit revealed discrepancies.
The audit was reported to county commissioners in March 2022 and involved at least two “significant deficiencies.” The questioned costs involved $3,521 in 2021 and $3,350 in 2020.
In her report giving during the public meeting, auditor Shawn Powell Long explained that she had observed daily collections generated by the inmate funds accounting software for the entire current and previous fiscal year and compared to back statements for the same period, noting “All of that money did not make it to the bank.”
Commission Chairman Rob Peck confirmed at the time that the commissioners had requested an audit focusing on the detention center where defiiciencies were found. Because the account fell under Sheriff Deese’s control and direction, the sheriff was notified and his department reached out to the SBI.
Sheriff Mark Buchanan declined to comment on Ledford’s case but said since he’s been in office major steps have been taken to improve the inmate trustee system that includes significant oversight.