Investigators question Revenue employees over bogus car titles

ATLANTA — A woman fired from the Georgia Department of Revenue Tuesday, told Channel 2 Action News she believes it was because she admitted knowing other workers were putting out bogus car titles.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne was there as investigators questioned workers at the Department of Revenue over what they say are fake or doctored car titles.

"I am being let go because certain people said that I knew what was going on and I didn't tell," said Lisa Lewis, former DOR worker.

"You did know something was going on?" Winne asked Lewis.

"I knew something was going on. I absolutely did and I am not going to back pedal from it. I did, but again I am nobody's judge," Lewis told Winne.

DOR special investigations Chief Josh Waites said not every worker at the sprawling state revenue processing center off Welcome All Road welcomed his investigators.

"We're looking at several employees," Waites told Winne. "We've uncovered the ways that the employees were doing this. We've taken steps to prevent that."

Waites said most of the seven current or former DOR workers, implicated some through a sting operation, are suspected of taking money to issue fraudulent titles in the wrong names.

"How many times did it happen?" Winne asked Waites.

"Hundreds of times," Waites said.

Waites said hundreds of Georgians may have bought cars thinking they had good titles, only to learn a bank or someone else actually owns them.

He said Lewis is not suspected of taking money, but of not taking appropriate action.

"I am just being accused of not tattling as opposed to you are the ones who are doing these titles and taking this money," Lewis said. "My firm belief in God is what's keeping me strong because Jesus is my source."

Lewis said DOR informed her she's been officially let go for unrelated paperwork issues, but she believes the reason is because she admitted knowing other workers were putting out bogus car titles

"I can't say that I saw it with my own eyes, money pass hands," Lewis said.

She said she will appeal her firing because she is good at her work and dealt with the situation her own way by counseling co-workers to stop doing wrong.

WSBTV