Three city officials in a small, central Georgia town have been arrested after they allegedly coerced another person into putting a tracking device on the the patrol vehicle of the town’s police chief.
Enigma’s acting mayor, Doug Webb, has been charged with stalking, eavesdropping, conspiracy to commit a crime, criminal solicitation, and violation of oath of office, WALB reported. City Councilman Ronald Harbin faces charges of stalking, eavesdropping, conspiracy to commit a crime, and violation of oath of office. City Clerk Latasha Luke has been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and criminal solicitation.
Police Chief Tony Perkins told the outlet he found the device on his patrol vehicle while washing it and launched an investigation on October 1. A week later, he secured arrest warrants for the three officials.
“I will uphold the laws of the state of Georgia,” Perkins said. No matter what your last name is, no matter what your title is, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m going to continue to do that for the town of Enigma no matter what. I have a job to do and that’s to protect the citizens here. They made some really bad decisions, and those decisions they’re going to have to live with.”
It’s not clear why the three put a tracker on Perkins’ vehicle, but the town of Enigma has been embroiled in controversy for months, beginning when some $100,000 in checks to the city were found in a closet uncashed, leading to the town’s bank accounts being frozen early this year.
At a city council meeting in January, a heated exchange between two council members — Webb and Donald Franklin — ended in Webb’s arrest for disorderly conduct.
In May, the city council voted to hire a police chief after months without any law enforcement in the town at all.
Long-time Mayor Cecil Giddens, who served in the post for 38 years, stepped down from his post in July. But no one had a bad word to say about Giddens, including Webb, who took over as acting mayor, and the town held a retirement celebration for him in August.
Now, Webb, Harbin, and Luke are all behind bars awaiting an initial court appearance.
Enigma is a tiny town of barely more than 1,000 people on south Georgia, about 50 miles north of the Florida state line.
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[Featured image: Doug Webb, Ronald Harbin, and Latasha Luke/Berrien County Sheriff’s Office]
