Former Georgia Governor Candidate Accused of Committing Several State Level Fraud Crimes

Forsyth County Republican and State Senator, Michael Williams, has been accused of several different fraud crimes. Williams is known for waging a very controversial campaign for governor this year in Georgia. 

He has declined to comment on the incident, but his former campaign manager has called this situation a “political witch hunt.”

Williams, according to reports, is making arrangements to turn himself in. The alleged crimes relate to an incident in May where Williams reported a burglary of his Gainesville office. He reported then that $300,000 worth of servers were taken from the building. 

The indictment accuses Williams of insurance fraud, making false statements and false report of a crime. 

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the offense of making a false report of a crime in our state. 

False Report of a Crime in Georgia

False Report of a Crime in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code as:

A person will be guilty of giving a false report of a crime when they willfully and knowingly give or cause a false report of a crime to be provided to any law enforcement office or agency. O.C.G.A. § 16-10-26.

If convicted of offering a false report of a crime in Georgia, the individual will be guilty of a misdemeanor. Misdemeanors come with a punishment of up to one year in prison, a fine up to $1,000, or both.

Practice Note 

Crimes such as false report of a crime fall into the category of Fraud Crimes in Georgia. Fraud crimes encompass everything from identity fraud in Georgia to computer theft in Georgia. 

As you can see fraud crimes cover a multitude of categories. These types of crimes are highly technical and difficult to navigate without a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney.