A former Northeast Georgia assistant district attorney has been sentenced to 10 years after entering a negotiated guilty plea on 21 counts of theft by taking.
Samuel Elias Skelton of Royston, age 32 at the time of his arrest on June 2, 2016, was sentenced by Piedmont Judicial Circuit Senior Judge Stephen E. Boswell on Jan. 25.
He was sentenced to serve 10 years and pay a $500 fine on Count 1 of theft by taking, and then was sentenced to serve 10 years each on Counts 2-21, to be served concurrent with Count 1, Banks County court documents show.
Counts 22-33 were not prosecuted under the negotiated plea.
The first two years of Skelton's sentence will be served in confinement, with the balance to be served on probation, court documents state.
Skelton must pay $7,288 in restitution for the benefit of the victim, Banks County, at a rate to be approved by the court or the probation officer, court documents state. Additionally, Skelton must abide by any curfew established by the probation officer.
Because he has been convicted of a felony, Skelton must provide a DNA sample, in compliance with Georgia law, court documents state.
Additionally, Skelton "shall not consume alcoholic beverages, and not use narcotics or dangerous drugs unless legally prescribed," the court documents read.
A further stipulation of the sentencing documents addresses both Skelton's future employment and his incarceration.
"Defendant will seek no employment with any governmental agency," the documents state. "Defendant will not practice law for the 10 years of the sentence. While incarcerated in Banks County or [Georgia] Department of Corrections, defendant is to be segregated from general population in the facility which houses law enforcement or public officials."
Skelton was indicted following a criminal investigation begun by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Aug. 28, 2015.
GBI noted in a prepared statement the case originated after the Banks County Sheriff's Office discovered irregularities in its evidence room involving Skelton.
After a meeting between District Attorney Brad Smith and Banks County Sheriff Carlton Speed following that discovery, the GBI was requested to investigate.
That investigation uncovered thefts of court fines and fees by former ADA Skelton, according to the GBI.
Skelton was terminated from employment by the Piedmont Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office, which serves Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties, on Oct. 6, 2015.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/2/498951/former-banks-county-assistant-da-sentenced-to-10-years-for-theft-of-court-fines-and-fees