Lakina Gay (Coweta County Sheriff's Office)
NEWNAN, Ga. - A former Coweta County Department of Corrections employee has been arrested after investigators say she stole tens of thousands of dollars from the county prison commissary account.
What we know:
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 49-year-old Lakina Gay of Newnan was taken into custody Wednesday and booked into the Coweta County Jail. She is facing five counts of theft by taking.
Authorities said preliminary findings show Gay, who worked as an office manager, misappropriated between $50,000 and $100,000 from the commissary account between 2019 and 2023.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office asked the GBI to take over the investigation in November 2023. Once the case is complete, it will be handed to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Gay was employed by Coweta County and not by the state prison system.
What we don't know:
Authorities have not said exactly how much money was stolen, how the funds were taken, or when the theft was first discovered.
It is also unclear when Gay left her job with the Coweta County Department of Corrections or whether she was terminated.
No details have been released about her court proceedings, bond status, or initial appearance.
Coweta County officials have not commented on the case, and investigators have not said if the missing commissary funds affected inmates or prison operations.
What you can do:
The GBI is asking anyone with information to contact its Columbus Regional Investigative Office at 706-565-7888. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the "See Something, Send Something" mobile app.
The Source: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Department of Corrections provided the information for this article.