Demorest mayor updates status of probe into missing $600,000

DEMOREST - An investigator contracted by the City of Demorest continues to delve into hundreds of thousands of dollars in missing public money.<br /> <br /> "The figure as it stands now is $598,000 and some change, so approximately $600,000 that we know has been taken from the city and is due to fraudulent activity," Mayor Rick Austin said Monday night. "We're in the middle of an ongoing investigation."<br /> <br /> Austin said councilmembers were updated on some specifics of that investigation in closed session at the end of their meeting.<br /> <br /> "Obviously we're not at liberty to discuss it since it is an ongoing matter, but I met with the investigator on Friday with the city attorney," Austin said. "I'm pleased at the progress that we're making."<br /> <br /> Austin said previously the missing money couldn't be a priority for Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents who were concerned with murders and other malice crimes. That doesn't mean GBI is not interested in the outcome of the probe.<br /> <br /> "It's my understanding that GBI is still watching with keen eye on this particular case, and I'm eager to get it taken care of and come to some resolution," Austin said. "As soon as that resolution is taken care of then I look forward to swift justice for the taking of the people's money."<br /> <br /> Asked for a timetable on when the investigation into the missing money might be concluded, Austin said he is hopeful it will be soon.<br /> <br /> "We're hopeful that by the end of this year or, at the latest, the very beginning of 2015 into January we can get this matter taken care of," Austin said. "As you're fully aware, investigations are dynamic, they're very fluid and they kind of take a life of their own once they get started. I'd rather the investigators be extraordinarily thorough and take a little extra time to be thorough than to finish fast and to leave something that might be missing."

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