DeKalb County official accused of holding woman against her will

<p>An aide to DeKalb County Chief Executive Vernon Jones turned himself in to police today to face charges he held a 19-year-old woman captive during a night of drinking at an Atlanta hotel.</p><p>Lance Robertson, Jones' deputy chief of staff, was charged with false imprisonment in a warrant signed Tuesday night by a DeKalb County magistrate judge.</p><p>Robertson turned himself in about 4:30 p.m. at DeKalb County police headquarters.</p><p>The warrant listed Robertson's address as a condominium near Turner Field in southeast Atlanta, where police were looking for him late Thursday. The condo is co-owned by Jones, according to Fulton County tax records.</p><p>Robertson's attorney, Beverly J. Taylor, has said her client denies the charges.</p><p>According to the arrest warrant, a 19-year-old from Jonesboro told police July 31 at DeKalb Medical Center that she met Robertson the night before during a concert at a Perimeter Center hotel. She told police Robertson gave her his business card and bought her two drinks and she later bought herself two more drinks.</p><p>"After that she only remembers throwing up multiple times," the report said. "She woke up ... at 8:30 in Room 320 at the W Hotel. She stated that she was naked and Mr. Robertson was also naked lying in the bed. ... She did not ask him any details about what occurred after she blacked out."</p><p>The woman later went to the hospital. She told police "she believes she was sexually assaulted by the suspect," according to the report.</p><p>Robertson was placed on leave Aug. 2 and had been collecting his $70,000 salary until Friday, when he was suspended without pay.</p><p>He has been deputy chief of staff since 2001.</p>

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/8/162052