THOMASVILLE, Ga. — The case of Thomasville Mayor Greg Hobbs’ accusations that two City of Thomasville employees forged his signature on payroll documents will go to a Thomas County grand jury in early February unless Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Brad Shealy decides there is not sufficient evidence to present for grand jurors’ consideration of indictment.

On June 1, 2018, Hobbs told the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Thomasville-based assistant district attorneys that Kha McDonald, interim city manager, and Vicky Bryson, executive administrative assistant to the city manager, forged his signature on payroll documents.

On Nov. 13, 2018, officials at the Thomasville regional GBI office met with Shealy and turned a copy of the agency’s case file involving the questioned Hobbs signature over to the district attorney for his review and a decision in the investigation.

Shealy said he will review findings in the GBI case file and determine if the matter should go before a Thomas County grand jury that convenes Monday, Feb. 4.

“I will use the grand jury as a deadline for me,” Shealy said. “You need to make a decision or move on.”

A civil action filed Dec. 17, 2018, in Thomas County Superior Court on behalf of McDonald and Bryson requests Hobbs to admit in writing under oath that he lied to law enforcement when he accused the women of forging his signature.

The request, filed by Moultrie attorney Robert D. Howell, names Hobbs individually and in his capacity as mayor. The document requires Hobbs to respond within 45 days of being served with the civil action.

The City of Thomasville also is named as a defendant.

Hobbs, the complaint stated, acted with malice and committed libel against McDonald and Bryson.

The mayor’s “extreme and outrageous actions in impugning plaintiffs’ reputations and attempting to engineer their criminal prosecution to damage their reputations and get them fired from their jobs have caused plaintiffs to suffer intense feelings of humiliation and embarrassment in their community,” according to the plaintiffs.

The complaint seeks monetary damage and losses in an amount to be proven at trial. 

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