· Augusta (Richmond County), GA · Charged, not convicted
Another Richmond County, Georgia deputy arrested and fired over alleged personal Flock searches
On Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in Augusta, Ga. said a deputy had been arrested and fired after a criminal investigation found he knowingly used the agency's Flock license plate reader system to search plates for personal reasons unrelated to any official law enforcement purpose, WRDW/WAGT reported. The sheriff's office said the searches were not connected to any criminal investigation, call for service, intelligence gathering or other legitimate law enforcement activity, according to the Aiken Standard (Post and Courier) and WFXG. The deputy was charged with misuse of license plate readers and violation of oath of office and booked into the Charles B. Webster Detention Center. He has been charged, not convicted. The Augusta Press reported that investigators said the searches happened last year, and that the sheriff's office said the investigation is ongoing and declined to give more details. Sheriff Eugene Brantley said access to criminal justice information systems, including Flock, is authorized only for official duties and that personal use is strictly prohibited, WRDW reported. WRDW and The Augusta Press listed six other Richmond County Sheriff's Office employees who were arrested and fired over alleged Flock misuse in June, July and August 2026, and WRDW's 12 On Your Side reported that no supervisor approval was required to access the system before those earlier arrests.
Sources
- WRDW/WAGT (Oct. 15, 2026)
- Aiken Standard / Post and Courier (Oct. 16, 2026)
- The Augusta Press (Oct. 16, 2026)
- WFXG (Oct. 16, 2026)
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