Shealy

THOMASVILLE — The Southern Judicial Circuit district attorney has received the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s findings in a case involving Thomasville Mayor Greg Hobbs’ claims his signature was forged on city documents.

Agents from the Thomasville regional GBI office met Tuesday with District Attorney Brad Shealy at Shealy’s Valdosta office.

Shealy received a copy of the GBI case file “involving the questioned signature of (Thomasville Mayor Greg) Hobbs,” said Jamy Steinberg, special agent in charge of the Thomasville GBI office.

“We will await the DA’s review and decision in this investigation,” said Steinberg, who declined to comment further.

Hobbs told the GBI in June that two City of Thomasville employees forged his signature on a payroll document. The employees have retained legal counsel, who said his clients will each seek $1 million in damages from the mayor.

Shealy said he will consider all evidence presented in the case.

“If 50 or more percent evidence is present, in my mind, I’d probably take it to a grand jury,” Shealy said.

When no warrants have been issued in a case, Shealy prepares an indictment based on evidence and presents it to a grand jury.

If grand jurors find sufficient evidence, the case will be bound over for trial. If not, the case will be no-billed.

Shealy said that if he does not find sufficient evidence to proceed with an indictment, he would write a letter to the GBI saying sufficient evidence was not present — “unless sufficient evidence pops up in a certain time frame.”

Shealy said he hopes to make a decision in a couple of months.

The next Thomas County grand jury session is in February.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820