Grand Jury Indicts Former Euharlee Chief, Assistant Chief

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Cartersville, GA -- A Bartow County grand jury has indicted Euharlee’s former chief of police and his second in command on charges they received pay while performing off-duty work.

The grand jury indicted former chief Terry Joseph Harget and former assistant chief Richard Brandon Smith on one count of each of felony theft by deception.

Both men are scheduled to be arraigned on the charges at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 29 before Bartow County Superior Court Judge Scott Smith.

Both Harget and Smith were arrested in March and were originally charged with theft of government funds and violation of oath of office.

The investigation came at the request of Bartow County District Attorney Rosemary Greene, who called in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate alleged “misconduct” on the part of both men.

According to the GBI, both Harget and Smith were employed by the Bartow County School System as crossing guards in “an off duty capacity.”

The school system contracted with the city police department to help with traffic control at Euharlee Elementary and Woodland Middle schools. The system previously said in a press release that the contract started “after budget cuts created lay-offs in the school system’s campus police department approximately three years ago.”

Bartow County schools paid $25 per day for each officer. In the beginning, the system contracted for one officer daily, but increased to two officers in 2014.

After noticing “irregularities” with the officers on duty, Bartow County Campus Police Chief Dan Knowles looked into the situation and also reach out to the GBI for assistance, the school system previously said.

The investigation revealed that Harget and Smith allegedly were being paid for performing the crossing guard assignment while also receiving on duty pay from the city.

The investigation also determined Harget was allegedly receiving pay from the school system’s police department while ”having on duty Euharlee officers perform the crossing guard duty for which Harget was being paid,” the GBI said.

Both Harget and Smith subsequently lost their jobs, and the city of Euharlee tapped an interim to serve as police chief.

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Photo: Terry Harget, left and Richard Smith. Credit: Bartow County Sheriff’s Office