Former Cobb commissioner charged with felony theft

By Alexis Stevens

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former Cobb County Commissioner Annette Kesting and her husband, Christian Kesting, were arrested late Thursday on allegations they borrowed an associate’s pickup truck and failed to return it.

The Kestings are charged with felony theft by conversion of a 1993 Ford F-150. The couple borrowed the pickup for a few hours on June 12 to drop off a vehicle for repairs and run errands. They had not returned the car as of Thursday, despite several attempts by the victims to contact them, according to the arrest warrant.

The pair was arrested at a Marietta home on Cedar Drive, according to jail records. Previously of Powder Springs, the Kestings now live in Hiram, according to their booking reports.

Bond for Annette Kesting, 45, and Christian Kesting, 67, was set at $5,000 each. The Kestings were released from custody Friday afternoon after posting bond, according to Cobb County jail records.

Annette Kesting made headlines in October when she allegedly hired a voodoo priestess to put a spell on a political rival and paid for the service with $3,000 in bad checks.

Her four-year term as a commissioner ended Dec. 31 after she was defeated by Woody Thompson in her re-election bid. When elected in 2004, Annette Kesting was Cobb County’s first African-American commissioner.

--Staff reporter Andria Simmons contributed to this report