GUYTON, Ga. — Guyton City Councilman Theodore Hamby, indicted in June on five felony charges tied to the alleged misuse of a city credit card and false statements to investigators, has been suspended from his city council position under an executive order issued by Governor Brian Kemp.

The city announced Tuesday that Hamby’s suspension is effective immediately in accordance with state law. Mayor Andy Harville expressed appreciation for the governor’s intervention and reaffirmed the city’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and maintaining the integrity of local government.

Hamby, 26, was arrested March 14 by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following an investigation into alleged misuse of a city-issued credit card. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in June and was released on a $10,000 bond.

The indictment includes three counts of financial transaction card fraud and two counts of making false statements. According to the charges, Hamby made three unauthorized purchases totaling more than $400 using the city’s credit card and provided false statements to investigators about the transactions. Hamby has denied wrongdoing.

Harville had previously requested Hamby’s resignation, citing serious concerns about his legal and ethical conduct, but Hamby declined, citing advice from his attorney to wait for the case to proceed.