A major with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office surrendered on charges of insurance fraud and making false statements Friday, jail records show.
Braxton Tyree Cotton, of Atlanta, then spent about 45 minutes in jail before being released on his own recognizance, according to booking records.
The Cobb County Police Department investigation began in March after Cotton told an officer his white Chevrolet Corvette had been struck in a hit-and-run crash on Macland Road, an arrest warrant states. But video footage and cellphone data told a different story, according to police.
“Accused then admitted to (the officer) that (his) vehicle had not been damaged in a hit-and-run, but instead that it had been struck ... by a female who said accused knew, and that this female was driving a Jeep without insurance at the time,” Cotton’s warrant states.
When the officer went to the woman’s home, her Jeep had white paint on the front bumper, consistent with the vehicle being in a crash, according to police. Cotton then allegedly filed an insurance claim stating his car had been involved in a hit-and-run, even though he knew who had hit him, the warrant states.
The officer “has identified a female and vehicle involved based on cellphone, license plate reading camera, and testimonial evidence that show that said accused knew who struck him at the time he filed said fraudulent insurance claim,” the warrant states.
In addition to the two felony charges, Cotton is charged with false report of a crime, a misdemeanor, according to police.
“Effective immediately, Sheriff Craig Owens has placed Maj. Braxton Cotton on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement to Channel 2 Action News. “The investigation is unrelated to his duties at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Owens will await the culmination of a fair trial before further commenting on the case.”
Cotton is the chief of staff for Owens, according to the sheriff’s office website. An Army veteran, Cotton previously was the director of reentry services for the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. He also previously served as a state trooper, his bio states.
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