Georgia mayor removed from office by governor after investigation into theft from city

ATLANTA — A Middle Georgia mayor has been removed from office after he was indicted on charges that he stole money from the city he was in charge of.

Officials said Mayor Brandon Holt, 34, had misappropriated the city of Pineview funds. On Jan.16, authorities arrested and charged Holt with 75 counts of theft by taking.

According to an executive order signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday, Holt was suspended from office “immediately and without further action pending the final disposition of the case or until the expiration of his term of office, whichever occurs first.”

The investigation into Holt began in October 2023, shortly after he was shot in a drive-by in LaGrange.

Wilcox County Sheriff Steve Mauldin and District Attorney Brad Rigby asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to start looking into misappropriated funds.

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According to court documents obtained by WGXA-TV, investigators alleged Holt took $64,455 in city funds through 75 separate Cash App transactions and put the money into his own bank account.

Holt was arrested on Jan. 16 and posted bond on the 75 charges.

Kemp ordered a review commission be established shortly after Holt’s indictment in March, which found Holt’s indictment “adversely affect(s) the administration of the Office of Mayor of Pineview, and that the rights and interests of the public are adversely affected thereby.”

WMAZ-TV learned this is not the first time Holt had been arrested on theft charges. An indictment from Bibb County claims Holt used the account numbers for Macon Asphalt to steal $22,196 from the company. 

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