A million-dollar scheme has been uncovered, resulting in public officials in Camden County being arrested.
The investigation is part of more than a year-long look into missing funds. The Camden County Sheriff’s Office identified William Brunson as the ringleader of the scheme.
Brunson was the PSA Director until May 2018 when he was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on two counts of theft by taking of government property in the amount of $17,500 and $23,000 from the Camden County Public Service Authority (PSA). The PSA is responsible for the Parks and Recreation Department for Camden County.
In September 2018, The Camden County Sheriff’s Office discovered $1.7 million dollars in questionable transactions were unaccounted for after the GBI investigation was concluded.
Assistant PSA Director Shawntay Jenkins, former Camden County CFO Michael Fender and his wife Carolyn Fender were also arrested in connection to the fraud.
The investigation revealed the Fenders received more than $400,000 for a school they owned. The school funding had been disguised as a grant that did not exist according to the sheriff’s office.
Camden Sheriff Jim Proctor has been a public servant across southeast Georgia for 31 years.
“The message to Camden is they can have confidence in the system because there are people watching and looking to make sure the system works,” Proctor said.
First Coast News spoke with Woodbine Mayor Steven Parrott about the case. Parrott sits on the PSA board. He explained that since Brunson’s original arrest and departure from the PSA, there have been policies implemented to watch over the organization’s financial moves.