NEWTON COUNTY, GA – A former Newton County Development Services employee, Carolyn Callwood, turned herself in to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) on June 17, following an extensive financial investigation into missing county funds.
Callwood, a Conyers resident who worked as an Impact Fee Coordinator from 2012 to 2015, was responsible for collecting business license and impact fees. However, a 2023 internal audit raised concerns when it revealed approximately $19,423 in collected fees were never deposited into county accounts. This discrepancy was linked to around 300 business licenses issued between January 2013 and October 2015.
An investigation by the District Attorney’s Office and NCSO Criminal Investigation Division confirmed that Callwood allegedly failed to deposit funds from 174 separate transactions during that period. As a result, investigators secured a felony arrest warrant charging her with 174 counts of Theft by Receiving.
Callwood resigned from her position on October 19, 2015, shortly before the audit findings came to light. After turning herself in last week, she was released on bail.
County Manager Lloyd Kerr issued a statement emphasizing the county’s commitment to transparency and fiscal accountability, assuring the public that all business licenses issued by Callwood remain valid and that no customers are affected by the incident.
The county continues to cooperate fully with law enforcement in the matter.
