Margie O’Brien, a former probate judge in Atkinson County, Georgia, plead guilty to stealing almost half a million dollars between 2010 and 2017.
A grand jury originally indicted O’Brien on 81 counts of theft by taking and two counts racketeering.
The Atkinson County Grand Jury handed down a 50+ page indictment; which indicted O’Brien on 81 counts of theft by taking and two counts of racketeering.
O’Brien is accused of handling the deposits for the Probate Court herself. She allegedly wrote all of the deposits slips personally and would keep money from each one for herself. She attempted to hide the alleged thefts by depositing checks and money orders that hadn’t been entered into the Probate Court’s computer system. The indictment states that during that seven-year period, the Probate Court generated $540,831; however, only $108,120 was deposited.
O’Brien pleaded guilty to 10 counts of theft by taking for stealing more than $430,000, and she was sentenced to three years in jail and 30 years probation.
Information excerpts from Douglas Now
