- Shawn Haralson has been indicted on 17 felony counts of Theft by Taking, and five felony counts of Unauthorized Use of a Financial Transaction Card.
- This case will be prosecuted by the District Attorney for the Southern Judicial Circuit.
- Read the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's news release below to see what happened.
GBI NEWS RELEASE:
On April 3, 2023, the GBI was requested by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office to conduct an independent investigation into a possible theft by Shawn Haralson who, at the time, served as the Superintendent for the Lowndes County School District. It was alleged that Haralson had fueled his personal vehicles with school owned fuel and then used it for personal travel.
Agents conducted interviews with members of the Lowndes County School Board, school employees, and numerous other individuals. Records and data from various sources were also reviewed. The evidence indicated there were multiple dates during which Haralson pumped school fuel into his personal pickup trucks and then traveled outside of Lowndes County for non-business purposes. In the Fall of 2023, the case file was provided to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
The Lowndes County Grand Jury reviewed the results of the GBI investigation, and on March 1, 2024, returned a true bill of indictment. Haralson has been charged with 17 felony counts of Theft by Taking, and five felony counts of Unauthorized Use of a Financial Transaction Card. Haralson was taken into custody on March 1, 2024, with the assistance of the Bacon County Sheriff’s Office.
This case will be prosecuted by the District Attorney for the Southern Judicial Circuit. Anyone with information on this matter is asked to call the GBI Thomasville Office at 229-225-4090.
