Atlanta police chief Richard Pennington's chief of staff is under investigation for allegedly bringing contraband to her son in the DeKalb County Jail, the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

The sheriff's office would not say what Maj. Pearlene Williams, a 28-year-old Atlanta Police Department veteran, is accused of smuggling.

Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Mikki Jones said no further information would be released at this time.

— Larry Hartstein

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Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC