Georgia Sheriff’s Chief of Staff Charged with Insurance Fraud in ‘Hit-and-Run’ Claim

The chief of staff for an Atlanta-area sheriff has been charged with insurance fraud after an investigation found that he had lied about the circumstances of an accident.

Braxton Tyree Cotton, 41, a major in the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, told an officer in March that his white Chevrolet Corvette had been hit by a hit-and-run driver. He also filed an insurance claim, alleging the hit-and-run.

But cellphone data, video footage and other information cast doubt on the story, according to multiple Georgia news outlets.

Cotton then admitted that his car had, in fact, been struck by a woman that he knows, and that she did not carry auto insurance at the time. Officers visited the woman’s home and found white paint on the front bumper of her car, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The deputy has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues. He faces at least three felony charges. He turned himself in on Friday and spent about 45 minutes in the Cobb County jail before he was released on his own recognizance.

Topics Fraud Georgia