BURKE COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia sheriff is facing federal charges after a grand jury indictment accused him of accepting money in exchange for dismissing DUI citations and later providing a gun to a convicted felon.
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams, 55, of Waynesboro, was indicted on five counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of transferring a firearm to a convicted felon.
Federal prosecutors allege Williams accepted payments from five different people between August 2021 and April 2022 in exchange for dismissing pending driving under the influence citations.
The indictment also alleges that in January 2023, Williams provided a gun to a person who had previously been convicted of a felony.
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The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
If convicted, each extortion charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison. The gun charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Other penalties could include fines and supervised release following any prison sentence.
According to the sheriff’s office website, Williams began working as Waynesboro Chief in 2012. Since then, Williams has reorganized and restructured the WPD by creating a plan to bring about community policing and restore community trust.
Waynesboro is about 155 miles outside of Atlanta.
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