South Georgia mayor indicted for theft but remains in office

The mayor of a South Georgia town has been indicted on two counts of theft after his arrest last year on charges of taking a land excavator. (AJC file photo)

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

The mayor of a South Georgia town has been indicted on two counts of theft after his arrest last year on charges of taking a land excavator. (AJC file photo)

The mayor of a South Georgia town has been indicted on two counts of theft after his arrest last year on charges of taking a land excavator.

Nashville Mayor Taylor Scarbrough, 56, faces once count each of theft by conversion and theft by deception, District Attorney Dick Perryman announced Tuesday.

Despite the charges, Scarbrough remains in office.

The excavator belonged to James Hobbs, who worked for Scarbrough on Aug. 17 when he left the machine parked on the mayor’s property overnight.

Another employee arrived to work the next day to find the equipment with “significant damage” which amounted to $12,000. Parts of the equipment were heavily dented, reports said.

Hobbs accused Scarbrough of absconding without his permission.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation later arrested Scarbrough.

Scarbrough later admitted damaging the machine but said Hobbs didn’t give him enough time to file a claim through his homeowners insurance to pay for the damage, according to The Associated Press.