A Georgia prison office manager now finds herself behind bars at the same jail she used to manage.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested former Coweta County Department of Corrections office manager Lakina Gay on theft charges, accusing her of taking tens of thousands of dollars from the county prison commissary account over several years.
What We Know:
Investigators say Gay, 49, of Newnan, Georgia, misappropriated between $50,000 and $100,000 from the commissary account between 2019 and 2023 while serving as the office manager at Coweta County Prison.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI’s help in November 2023 after discovering the missing funds.
Gay was arrested on Wednesday, August 20 and booked into the Coweta County Jail. She is charged with five counts of theft by taking.
Once the investigation is finished, the case will be given to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
By The Numbers:
- 5 charges of theft by taking
- 4 years of reported thefts (2019–2023)
- $50,000 to $100,000 allegedly stolen
In Context:
Georgia’s prison commissary accounts hold inmate funds used for approved purchases. Theft of these funds directly affects incarcerated individuals and their families, who supply the money.
Take Action:
The GBI is asking anyone with information about the case to call its Columbus Regional Investigative Office at 706-565-7888. Anonymous tips can be submitted at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
