SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — Guyton City Councilman Theodore Hamby, indicted Monday on five felony charges tied to the alleged misuse of a city credit card and false statements to investigators, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday and was released on a $10,000 bond.
Hamby, 26, was arrested March 14 by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following a probe into the alleged misuse of a city-issued credit card. He was charged with felony theft by taking and financial transaction card fraud, booked into the Effingham County Jail, and later released.
This week’s indictment includes three counts of financial transaction card fraud and two counts of making false statements.
According to the indictment, Hamby is accused of making three unauthorized purchases using the city of Guyton’s credit card on Feb. 4, totaling more than $400. The charges include two transactions of $204.50 and one of $84.50.
He is also accused of making two false statements to GBI Special Agent Stephen Morris on March 14. The indictment states Hamby falsely claimed the credit card had been stolen in Atlanta and denied using it at a Parker’s convenience store in Guyton.
Hamby has denied wrongdoing.
Guyton Mayor Andy Harville met with Councilman Theodore Hamby March 21 asking Hamby to resign from his city council post, “to facilitate a fresh start,” and that Hamby’s recent “legal and ethical issues have raised serious concern within our community and government,” Harville wrote in his letter he presented to Hamby. “The integrity of our public offices and the trust of the citizens we serve are of paramount importance.”
Hamby refused to resign from his city council post stating that his attorney advised him to wait for the case to be heard before taking any action. In his email to local media, Harville indicated he is “exploring other possible options to move forward with this matter.”
The arrest is only the latest and most serious consequence of Hamby’s actions since taking office in January 2024.
Last summer, Hamby was found to have violated the city’s ethics standards by allegedly using his position as a city councilman for his paid endorsement of Kelly Hoffner’s campaign in her bid for the Effingham County tax commissioner office. The Hoffner campaign refused Hamby’s offer saying it was unethical, and filed the complaint.
After the hearing, the ethics committee asked for a public reprimand for Hamby from the mayor and council, in addition to a public apology from Hamby.
At the Aug. 13, 2024, regular meeting of the city council, Hamby refused to admit wrongdoing and did not apologize.
In April 2024, just three months after taking office, Hamby proposed that the Guyton City Council decriminalize marijuana possession within the city – even though marijuana is a Schedule I substance and possession is still illegal according to federal and Georgia law.
Hamby proposed a city ordinance to decriminalize marijuana within Guyton at the Feb. 12 city council meeting, but the motion failed 4-1. The proposed ordinance was tabled until a town hall meeting could be scheduled to receive public input.
