Former Captain Elizabeth Croley, 37, of the Decatur County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for willfully withholding evidence favorable to a criminal defendant and for writing a false report to cover up another law enforcement officer’s use of force against a civilian.
Robert Wade Umbach, 36, and Christopher Kines, 36, both former deputies at the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, were also sentenced to 15 months in prison for making false statements to help cover up the use of force.
The charges arose from a September 2012 incident in which former Grady County, Georgia, Deputy Sheriff Wiley Griffin IV – who is the son of Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin III – used force against Aaron Parrish during an arrest at the Bainbridge BikeFest.
The jury found that Croley, Kines and Umbach obstructed justice when they later helped cover up Griffin’s actions. Specifically, the jury convicted Croley of obstructing justice by writing a false report and convicted Kines and Umbach of engaging in misleading conduct by lying to an FBI agent about the incident.
Croley was also convicted of violating Aaron Parrish’s constitutionally protected right to a fair trial by intentionally withholding material exculpatory evidence from the district attorney’s office, and in turn, from Aaron Parrish’s criminal defense attorney during a criminal prosecution of Parrish.
The government also presented evidence that Griffin struck Parrish in the eye with a metal flashlight while Parrish was being restrained on the ground by other deputies, including defendants Kines and Umbach.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, and was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Christine M. Siscaretti and Risa Berkower of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Georgia.
Related Federal Cases
- William McCall Calhoun Jr., Capitol Riot, Georgia 2021 · Florida
- Georgia State Settles Federal Abuse Claims, Washington DC, 2007 · Georgia
- Christopher H. Murray, Bribery and False Statement, Georgia 2007 · Florida
- Christopher H. Murray, Bribery, Georgia 2005 · Florida
- Georgia Psychiatric Facilities, Neglect and Abuse, GA, Not Specified · Florida
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Public CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic CorruptionPublic Corruption