JEFFERSON - Two police officers in northeast Georgia who have been on paid administrative leave for more than three months are expected to return to work today, but authorities say they still could face charges.
Jefferson Police Chief Joseph Wirthman cleared Captain Dennis Thomas and Lieutenant John Ward Junior to return to duty after a special prosecutor dropped a proposed criminal indictment against the men.
An investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors still could indict the two officers depending on the outcome.
Wirthman said Tuesday ``It's not over.''
City officials placed Thomas and Ward on leave November 21st after Richard Malone -- the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia who was appointed as special prosecutor -- said he planned to push for indictments against the two officers and also against two former officers, including the ex-chief.
Prosecutors planned to present the cases to a Jackson County grand jury in December, but held off, in part because of a problem with a code section included in the proposed indictment.
Thomas had been with the department for 15 years and Ward for 14.
The department has been under investigation by the special prosecutor and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation since August 2005, when allegations surfaced that an officer used city-owned gas for personal use. The officer -- Mario Johnson -- has since resigned. He also was named in the proposed indictment.
Prosecutors said they planned to bring 40 charges against Johnson, Thomas, Ward and ex-police Chief Darren Glenn. Last week, Malone said the investigation is focused on the four current or former officers included in the proposed indictment, -- quote -- ``or even more.''
He would NOT name other officers who might become part of the investigation.
Thursday
June 12th, 2025
7:28AM
