City hall employee swindles elderly Georgia man out of thousands for water leak repair

TOCCOA, Ga. — A city hall employee has been arrested for scamming an elderly man out of thousands of dollars, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

On August 8, the Toccoa Police Department requested the GBI’s help in conducting a theft investigation.

Officials said an elderly man went to the Toccoa City Hall to pay for the repair of a water leak. The man spoke limited English, according to the GBI.

The man reportedly made a cash payment of $2,000.

Authorities said after the man learned that only $200 was credited to his bill, he called the police.

Investigators learned that the money was reportedly collected by a city employee, 35-year-old Jennifer Nicole Johnson.

On Aug. 10, Johnson was arrested and booked into the Stephens County Detention Center and bonded out of jail the same day. She is charged with theft by deception and exploitation and intimidation of an elderly person.

Once the investigation is completed, the case will be turned over to the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.