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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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)