Former Chatham County Coroner James Metts Jr. has been cleared of potential criminal charges for his use of county funds prior to his resignation in December 2012.
Atlantic Judicial Circuit District Attorney Tom Durden, who was assigned the case more than one year ago, wrote in a memo dated May 5 to GBI special agent Traci Sands that he was closing the investigation.
Durden wrote that he had reviewed a GBI investigative report consisting of about 2,000 pages of interviews and financial reports of auditors and the Chatham County Commission.
The audits reportedly included both those on behalf of the county and Metts’ personal banking records.
“It is my opinion there is no evidence to support any criminal impropriety in the use of funds supplied by Chatham County to Dr. James C. Metts as coroner,” Durden said.
Metts, who is in his early 80s, resigned on Dec. 14, 2012 — only about one month after he had been re-elected — after internal auditors for the county questioned his use of public funds. He had held the position since 1973.
via Former Chatham coroner cleared by DA of criminal use of funds | savannahnow.com.
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