BURKE COUNTY, Ga. — A federal grand jury has indicted Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams on serious charges including extortion and unlawfully transferring a firearm to a convicted felon, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia made on Tuesday.
Sheriff Williams, 55, who resides in Waynesboro, faces a total of five counts related to extortion under the guise of his official duties, in addition to a single count concerning the illegal transfer of a firearm to a convicted felon.
If found guilty, each extortion count could result in a prison term of up to 20 years, while the firearm-related charge could lead to a maximum sentence of 15 years.
It is alleged that Williams solicited and obtained payments from five different people in return for dropping pending DUI charges, with these acts reportedly occurring from August 2021 to April 2022.
Furthermore, Williams is accused of handing over a firearm in January 2023 to an individual known to have a previous felony conviction.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara M. Lyons and Timothy P. Dean.