Former employee uses over $300K from GA dental college to pay Airbnb, credit card, cell phone

AUGUSTA, Ga. — A former Augusta University’s Dental College of Georgia employee has been indicted after officials say she allegedly stole over $300,000 from the institution and made personal transactions.

Dawn Gantt, 43, worked at the college as a Dean’s Office Coordinator from 2015 until she was fired in Oct. 2023.

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The Augusta University Police Department investigated the case and a Richmond County grand jury indicted Gantt on April 16.

According to the indictment, Gantt had access to the department’s banking account’s cards and checks and was responsible for preparing and submitting requests to the dental college’s Associate Dean of Business and Finance, who would then issue the checks for the requested amounts.

Police believe that Gantt would use the account to make personal purchases and then submit written requests to cover the personal transactions made from the account.

Documents show that between Feb. 2016 and Oct. 2023, Gantt made personal purchases and transactions from the account to places like Sirius XM, multiple ATM cash withdrawals, medical bills, car dealerships, multiple transactions to Verizon Wireless, Airbnb, and American Express.

Police told Channel 2 Action News that these transactions totaled $305,359.54.

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Gantt was charged with 1 count of racketeering, which includes 288 acts of theft by taking and 19 acts of false statements and writings.

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