Justin Brown, 42, was arrested and charged with misusing a license plate reader system while working as an investigator for the Hall County Sheriff's Office. (Credit: Hall County Sheriff's Office)
HALL COUNTY, Ga. - A former Hall County Sheriff's Office investigator is facing criminal charges after state agents say he misused a law enforcement license plate reader system for personal reasons.
What we know:
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested 42-year-old Justin Brown of Dahlonega on Wednesday. Brown was charged with two counts of misuse of a license plate reader system and two counts of violation of oath of office.
GBI agents launched an investigation on Aug. 18 after the Hall County Sheriff's Office conducted an internal audit of its Flock Safety System and flagged potential employee misuse.
Investigators said Brown accessed the camera system for non-law enforcement purposes while employed as an investigator with the sheriff's office.
Deputies booked Brown into the Hall County Detention Center.
Dig deeper:
Brown's arrest comes after a turbulent year for the Hall County Sheriff's Office, which has faced mounting internal audits, criminal charges, and high-profile resignations.
At least six other Hall County personnel, including investigators Michael Atkins and Melissa Wood, along with deputies Austin Scott Flanagan, Jason Orellana, Taylor McArthur, and Brandon Sanders, were terminated or resigned in August and September following internal audits that revealed widespread unauthorized searches of the Flock Safety camera system for personal matters.
The department has also been rocked at the top level by Sheriff Gerald Couch's arrest. He was arrested in February for DUI in his county-issued vehicle, suspended by Gov. Brian Kemp, and subsequently arrested again in May for violating his driving permit.
The compounded scandals have sparked community backlash, with the grassroots group, Concerned Citizens of Hall County, launching a petition drive to force a recall election for the sheriff.
What we don't know:
The GBI did not release details on whose license plate or vehicle Brown was allegedly tracking. Authorities have not disclosed if Brown resigned or was fired following the internal audit.
What you can do:
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the GBI Cleveland regional office at 706-348-4866 or the tip line at 1-800-597-8477.
The Source: Information in this story came from a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.