Staff reports
Accused since July of stealing thousands of dollars from her church, Dougherty County employee Yolanda Pope is no longer on the public payroll.
Upon being indicted last week, Pope, 52, was suspended without pay from her $32,800-a-year job by County Administrator Richard Crowdis pending the resolution of her criminal case. She had remained on the job since her arrest.
A highly regarded staffer on the job for 15 years with an otherwise unblemished personnel record, Pope administers the county’s health and life insurance programs.
Pope is charged with 27 counts of theft and fraud following a complaint by officials at her small south Dougherty County church, New Macedonia Baptist. She is the daughter of a former pastor of the church, and served as church treasurer in a volunteer capacity. In 2008, a church employee was charged with stealing about $30,000 from new Macedonia Baptist.
The case is being handled by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which says that Pope used a church automated teller machine card 21 times between 2007 and 2009 to illegally withdraw more than $6,000 in funds. She is charged with six counts of theft by receiving and 21 counts of financial transaction card theft.
Authorities say that Pope was not authorized to have the ATM card.
Pope, of Dawson, has glowing appraisals from her supervisor and letters of commendation from others in her personnel file. She could not be reached for comment.
One gets to stay on the job with pay,plus hail marys from some of the Officals,say how good a person this person was.i dont know,i dont know her.But i do know a theif is a theif.Or did someone downton tell her she could do this?Seems like the guy from the airport is getting bagged in a couple way.Fight back,what you thought was given to you was just that.But you did not have good things said about you as did this women,and you did not get to stay on the job untill PROVEN GUILTY.Maybe you did not scratch there back just like they wanted.Or kiss enough butt.You know the ol saying about brown nosing.It can get you in high places.But you have to stoop so low to get there.Put up a fight for your rights.Alot of us need to do this,or this town will never be the same.The ones in Office now have showed time and time again,they protect there own.Not WE The People…..
I would have thought that this case to be straight up but then you look at the airport case next door and it’s not. I will comment again here even though I think the editor did a good job of pointing out the special favors Mr. Reddish is getting.
Correct me here if I am wrong.
Both have positive reviews at work. Both were arrested and it looks like Ms. Pope got greater charges. 21 counts and $6,000. Reddish got 2 charges and $1100. Pope remained on the job and Reddish was suspended with pay. You could say that Mr. Reddish’s alleged crime was against the city so that’s why he was sent home. Fair enough for some but I think these personnel policies should be fair and consistent.
Both were indicted by a Grand Jury. Ms. Pope gets no pay but still has her job. Mr. Reddish gets handed a pink slip. Stop the show because this is neither consistent or fair.
I thought the airport case would have blown over by now and I didn’t think there was much of a case to begin with. Now that the Journal has pointed out what’s really happening, I can’t help but think the city with Captain Crook at the helm is sailing into some precarious waters just before he jumps ship. Oh yeah, Everyone downtown has a little Cap’n in them. Hopefully Mr. Reddish has some fight in him.