Snellville mayor turns self in on tax evasion, theft charges

Snellville Mayor Tom Witts turned himself in at the Gwinnett County jail Thursday afternoon, one week after a grand jury returned a 66-count indictment against him.

Witts, 68, was booked into the jail at around 12:30 p.m., online records showed. He was released about 25 minutes later on a $20,000 signature bond — meaning that he didn’t have to pay any money to be released but could be fined that amount if he fails to show for court appearances.

As Witts walked out of the jail Thursday, he and his attorney both balked when asked for comment by a Channel 2 Action News reporter.

“I don’t really have anything to say,” the mayor said.

The indictment returned against Witts last week accuses him of numerous crimes, including tax evasion; lying on official documents about owing taxes when he ran for both city council and for mayor; improperly allowing his business to perform work for the city; and using campaign funds for personal expenses like cruises and airline tickets.

Sixty-five of the charges are felonies. The only misdemeanor charge accuses Witts of using 2015 campaign money to purchase a six-month membership on a pornography website.

Witts, a former city councilman, was elected as mayor in 2015.

Visit myAJC.com to read more about what could be next for Witts — including a panel appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal that could ultimately lead to a suspension.

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The AJC's Tyler Estep keeps you updated on the latest happenings in Gwinnett County government and politics. You'll find more on myAJC.com, including these stories: