AJC Investigations

In the past two and one-half years, nearly 200 Georgia Department of Corrections employees have been arrested on charges involving crimes at state prisons. File photo. JOHN SPINK/ JSPINK@AJC.COM

Georgia prison employees arrested for drug crimes, battery, sexual assault of inmates

Selena Holmes (left) reportedly paid GED instructor DaShawn Melvin (right) $1,000 each time he brought drugs into Pulaski State Prison.

Credit: Ga. Dept. of Corrections

Blank greeting cards led to arrest of GED instructor at Georgia prison

The Atlanta VA Medical Center installed anti-climbing fences on its parking decks in 2016. The $850,000 project was in response to a pair of incidents where suicidal veterans threatened to jump, but were talked down. BRAD SCHRADE/ BSCHRADE@AJC.COM

VA watchdog investigates psych ward breakdowns at Atlanta hospital

Fulton County residents use electronic voting machines to cast their ballots on the floor of State Farm Arena during early voting in Georgia in October 2020. (Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com)

Credit: Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com

Georgia election security chief splits time with second state job

Featured

Heber Zapata, a 28-year-old engineer from Mexico, entered the country on a visa meant for white-collar professionals but ended up working as a line assembly worker. (Miguel Martinez / miguel.martinezjimenez@ajc.com)

Credit: Miguel Martinez

‘A total lie’: Mexican engineers say they were misled into manual labor in Ga. factories

Gazi Kodzo, leader of the Black Hammer organization, leads protestors in chants against CNN Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022 in front of the CNN building in Atlanta. Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Daniel Varnado

‘I could die any second’: Records tell harrowing story about Black Hammer standoff in Ga.

Tenant Danielle Russell, left, speaks with Atlanta zoning employees outside the burned out unit next to her apartment at the Pavilion Place apartments while code enforcement, zoning, and State Department of Community Affairs officials do a sweep on Monday. (Curtis Compton / Curtis Compton@ajc.com)

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

Code enforcement sweeps notorious Atlanta apartments

Gabriel Sterling, a top aide to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, has been one of most vocal defenders of the office's integrity. In the seventh episode of the AJC's "Breakdown" podcast, Raffensperger and Sterling sit down for an interview about the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: Hyosub Shin

‘Breakdown’ Episode 7: Planting the seeds of truth

Black Hammer Party leader Gazi Kodzo, left, protested in March at Facebook headquarters in San Francisco over censorship of pro-Russian posts. Kodzo livestreamed the protest over YouTube. The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday said the trip was funded as part of a secret Russian influence campaign by an unregistered foreign agent.

Credit: YouTube

Atlanta group implicated in Russian influence scheme

The Clayton County jail has had a history of problems with its treatment of detainees.

Family calls on officials to investigate Clayton County jail detainee death

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has proposed, as part of her plan addressing the state's affordable housing crisis, giving code inspectors more authority to hold predatory landlords accountable for keeping families in unsafe living conditions. (Arvin Temkar / arvin.temkar@ajc.com)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Abrams’ affordable housing plan targets predatory landlords

More News

How do you indict a president? It's never happened before. The sixth episode of the AJC's Breakdown podcast looks back at past criminal cases involving presidents and vice presidents, including Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal. Can these cases tell us anything about what's ahead for the Fulton special purpose grand jury investigation of former President Donald Trump? (AP file)

Credit: AP file

‘Breakdown’ Episode 6: One for the History Books

Former private school students seeking $345 million from insurers over alleged sexual...

Former Conyers mayoral candidate sentenced to prison for pandemic loan fraud

Atlanta fringe group linked to Fayetteville home at center of deadly shooting

Fairburn & Gordon I & II apartments on Fairburn Road was among 43 complexes targeted by local prosecutors in a campaign against persistently dangerous and unhealthy apartments. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Where are the 43 apartment complexes identified as dangerous and unhealthy?

Crackdown on Atlanta apartments comes after years of fragmented approach to crime...

‘Breakdown’ Episode 5: The out-of-state witness subpoenas

Fulton DA plans crackdown on dangerous apartment complexes

Homeowner Stephen Burlingame stands outside of his townhome in the Village Grove subdivision in Suwanee. The state insurance commission is investigating the Gwinnett HOA for potential fraud. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

State insurance commission investigates Gwinnett HOA over roof plan

Man’s body still missing 3 years after Georgia medical examiner shipped it via FedEx

Critics called on county to demolish Georgia Guidestones before bombing

‘Breakdown’ Ep. 4: ‘A Guilty Mind?’

Capt. Tawnya Gilovanni, the first woman to be named captain in the Lawrenceville Police Department, came forward with claims of sexual harassment within the agency last year, prompting an internal investigation and leading to the departures of the police chief and the captain over criminal investigations. The AJC does not typically identify victims of sexual harassment, but through her attorney, Gilovanni agreed to be named in this story. The city has now agreed to pay her $300,000 to settle her case, and she is resigning from the office. (Handout)

Credit: HANDOUT

Lawrenceville police captain who filed harassment complaint resigns, settles with city

GBI releases new video of Georgia Guidestones bombing

Staff shortage puts elderly in jeopardy at many Georgia nursing homes

‘Breakdown’ Ep. 3: ‘Is There a Criminal Case?’

Columnists

Dangerous Dwellings

Sponsored Content

Northside Hospital Gwinnett expanding with new patient tower, adding around 5,000 jobs

These are the best Georgia hospitals in 2022, analysis finds

Courtesy of Minhnuyet Hardy Interiors

Credit: Mali Azima

Who said man-caves can’t be classy? Atlanta interior designer crafts masculine luxury...

Plant These Vegetables Now if You’re Planning a Fall Garden

Spend the August heat in preparation for gardening

Most Read

North Georgia man sentenced on Jan. 6 charge

Town where Rivian trucks are normal has advice for Georgia: Buckle up

New Birth holds back-to-school shoe giveaway

Georgia medical board to review sexual misconduct cases

ESPN drops Hank Williams Jr. from ‘Monday Night Football’ intro

Senior care investigation

July 14, 2021 Smyrna - Rita Manatrizio plays with therapy dog Bella at her room at Woodland Ridge Assisted Living on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Georgia senior care homes struggle to rebound after pandemic

Rosemont at Stone Mountain is a senior living facility that has experienced a large number of Covid deaths. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Warnock, Johnson seek investigation of Georgia’s nursing home death data

James Dempsey died in 2014 after authorities say his nurses neglected his repeated calls for help.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

‘Granny cams’ bill disappoints senior advocates

Connie Kendrick and her son, William Kendrick, embrace as they see each other at The William Breman Jewish Home in Atlanta on Thursday. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Nursing home residents finally get to see their loved ones face to face

Data Journalism

FILE - People wait in line to vote in the Georgia's primary election on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Atlanta. Political divides in the U.S. seem deeper than ever, but one of the few shared sentiments right now from voters of all stripes is the desire for something different. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Credit: Brynn Anderson

Interactive: Poll of Georgia voters, July 2022

220117-Atlanta-Traffic flows freely along the Downtown Connector on Monday morning, Jan. 17, 2022. Ben Gray for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: BEN@BENGRAY.COM

We full? Fulton, DeKalb populations shrink for the first time in more than a decade

The Georgia House voted mostly along party lines, 96-68, on Monday , November 22, 2021, to send the congressional redistricting map to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature. The new redistricting map will help Republicans to obtain victories before a single vote is cast in next year’s elections. Miguel Martinez for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Miguel Martinez

Interactive: Poll of Georgia voters, January 2022

Atlanta mayoral candidates Andre Dickens and Felicia Moore at a runoff debate on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021.

Credit: Spec

Interactive: Poll of Atlanta voters, November 2021

Candidates qualify to run and possibly become the next mayor of Atlanta

Interactive: Poll of Atlanta voters, September 2021

Credit: Emily DiRico

Atlanta crime trends, 2011-present

Credit: Emily DiRico

Atlanta crime trends, 2011-present

In 2019, Jeremy Taylor was rushed by way of ambulance to Grady Memorial Hospital after having a seizure at a store. Later, he got a bill for $1,947 from Grady Emergency Medical Services. The bill itemized only one charge, which he was notified had to be paid at once. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Credit: Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal Constitution

Federal government may have to wrest pricing information from hospitals

Kati Manley, of Statesboro, was treated for kidney stones in a an outpatient procedure at East Georgia Regional Medical Center, and learned she was responsible for $4,000 after her insurance was billed $45.000. No one told her that she she could comparison shop online at a different hospital and perhaps pay less. “I wish I kind of knew that beforehand,’' said Manley. (Stephen B. Morton/For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Stephen B. Morton

Georgia hospitals post prices online but good luck finding the information

'Breakdown' podcast

Gabriel Sterling, a top aide to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, has been one of most vocal defenders of the office's integrity. In the seventh episode of the AJC's "Breakdown" podcast, Raffensperger and Sterling sit down for an interview about the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: Hyosub Shin

‘Breakdown’ Episode 7: Planting the seeds of truth

How do you indict a president? It's never happened before. The sixth episode of the AJC's Breakdown podcast looks back at past criminal cases involving presidents and vice presidents, including Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal. Can these cases tell us anything about what's ahead for the Fulton special purpose grand jury investigation of former President Donald Trump? (AP file)

Credit: AP file

‘Breakdown’ Episode 6: One for the History Books

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is among the allies of President Trump who received a material witness subpoena for the Fulton County special purpose grand jury. Episode 5 of the AJC's "Breakdown" podcast takes a close look at those out-of-state witnesses subpoenas and what they may portend for the investigation. (Evelyn Hockstein / Pool via AP)

Credit: Evelyn Hockstein

‘Breakdown’ Episode 5: The out-of-state witness subpoenas

William Barr was Attorney General for President Trump. The fourth episode of the AJC's "Breakdown" podcast asks if President Trump showed criminal intent during his phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. (J. Scott Applewhite / AP file)

Credit: J. Scott Applewhite

‘Breakdown’ Ep. 4: ‘A Guilty Mind?’

More Investigations

In the third episode of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Breakdown" podcast, we consider what laws may have been broken during President Trump's January 2021 phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. And was Trump acting on legal advice from his law team, including former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani? (Jacquelyn Martin / AP file)

Credit: Jacquelyn Martin

‘Breakdown’ Ep. 3: ‘Is There a Criminal Case?’

Credit: AJC

Judge says Georgia should turn over prison documents to federal investigators

Justin Ross Harris (left) and Claud "Tex" McIver both had their murder convictions overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court.

Credit: AJC file photo

Georgia high court rightly overturned murder convictions, legal experts say

Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Georgia's public health commissioner, speaks about the coronavirus pandemic during a 2021 press conference as her boss, Gov. Brian Kemp, watches. Toomey fired the top lawyer at the Department of Public Health, who has won a $750,000 settlement from the state over her termination. Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@ajc.com”

Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@

State pays $750,000 to lawyer fired by public health agency

Maddox Kilgore, seen here in 2014, who was one of Justin Ross Harris’ trial attorneys, praised the Supreme Court’s ruling to throw out the murder conviction. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Breakdown" returns to the subject of Season 2 and examines how the conviction was successfully challenged. (AJC file)

Credit: AJC file

‘Breakdown’ S02, Ep. 18: A momentous decision

November 20, 2014 Atlanta: Technology Square is mixed use area at Fifth and Spring Street that contains Georgia Tech academic buildings, Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, retail and offices. Global consulting group Accenture plans to put a new innovation lab at Tech Square and add 800 jobs through 2020. BRANT SANDERLIN / BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

Georgia Tech hotel hosting conference by election deniers

When her four-year-old grandson Kawan Ward was unresponsive and feverish one morning in April, Vanessa Ward waited for a Grady ambulance to arrive for over an hour before driving him to Egleston Children’s Hospital near Emory University herself. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Atlanta to start city ambulance service after frustrations mount with Grady EMS

Dr. Jeffrey M. Gallups and his company, Milton Hall Surgical Associates, agreed in December to pay about $3 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that the scheme with lab company Next Health bilked government health care programs. Gallups also pleaded guilty last year to a federal criminal charge in connection with the scheme, and in June he was sentenced to three years in federal prison. Gallups is seen here in a video from his "Doc Talk" show.

Credit: YouTube

Alpharetta doctor sentenced to 3 years in federal prison

© 2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
All Rights Reserved.

By using this website, you accept the terms of our

Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, CCPA, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices.

Learn about Careers at Cox Enterprises.

Back to Top