Carla B. Gaines, Wire Fraud and Theft from a Local Government, Georgia 2019
Carla B. Gaines, a 60-year-old attorney from Mableton, Georgia, has been arraigned on charges of wire fraud and theft from a local government that receives federal funding.
According to federal authorities, from August 2014 through March 2016, Gaines allegedly stole $337,400 that she had received from the Clayton County government to hold in escrow for payment to Kelete, Inc., a business located in College Park, Georgia.
Gaines was retained to serve as the escrow agent for a real estate transaction between Clayton County and Kelete. However, instead of holding the funds in escrow, Gaines diverted the $337,400 to pay for personal and law firm expenses.
Beginning in March 2016, Gaines repeatedly made false representations to Clayton County and Kelete about whether she had the money and whether payment was on the way. These representations were false, and Gaines had far less than $337,400 in her bank accounts at the time she made these misrepresentations.
Carla B. Gaines was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 10, 2019. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges, and the defendant is presumed innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating this case.
Carla B. Gaines, formerly licensed in Georgia, was disbarred on November 18, 2019. The exact date of her arraignment is not specified in the source.
The exact charges against Carla B. Gaines are wire fraud and theft from a local government that receives federal funding. The dollar amount of the theft is $337,400. The city and state where the crime occurred are Atlanta, Georgia.
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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