Former Troup County payroll manager sentenced to prison for $550K theft

article

Wesleigh Gaddy (Troup County Sheriff's Office) (Troup County Sheriff's Office)

ATLANTA - A former payroll manager for Troup County has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $500,000 in taxpayer funds by redirecting paychecks intended for former employees, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

What we know:

Wesleigh Gaddy, 35, of Hogansville, pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds. A federal judge sentenced her to 18 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $558,943.17 in restitution.

The backstory:

Gaddy was originally arrested in 2025 following a joint investigation by the IRS and the FBI. The probe began after a Troup County deputy discovered multiple direct deposit reports for funds he never received, noting he was not even employed by the county at the time the payments were issued.

A subsequent audit of county payroll records revealed that between March 2023 and May 2025, Gaddy withdrew over $500,000 using the names of more than 75 former county employees. Authorities said the stolen funds were funneled into only three bank accounts, one of which Gaddy controlled.

Local perspective:

Troup County Manager Eric Mosley and Human Resources Director Valerie Heard testified that they have received numerous calls from concerned citizens regarding the theft. The officials stated the county is implementing new safeguards to ensure such a breach of trust cannot happen again.