NEWNAN, Ga. — A former employee of the Coweta County Department of Corrections has been arrested after investigators say she stole tens of thousands of dollars from the county prison commissary account.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) confirmed that 49-year-old Lakina Gay of Newnan was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked into the Coweta County Jail. She faces five counts of theft by taking.
Preliminary findings indicate Gay, who worked as an office manager, misappropriated between $50,000 and $100,000 from the commissary account between 2019 and 2023.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI’s involvement in November 2023. Upon completion of the investigation, the case will be referred to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, Gay was employed directly by Coweta County and not by the state prison system.
Details remain unclear about the exact methods of theft, the total amount stolen, or when the crime was initially discovered. It is also unknown when Gay left her position or if she was terminated.
No information has been released regarding her court appearances, bond, or other legal proceedings.
Coweta County officials have yet to comment publicly, and authorities have not disclosed whether the missing funds impacted inmates or prison operations.
