ATLANTA – For the second time in a week, a Georgia prosecutor has been indicted for misconduct in a criminal investigation.
Chattahoochee Circuit District Attorney Mark Preston Jones is charged with bribery, influencing witnesses, violating his oath of office and subornation of perjury. The most serious charge in terms of penalties is bribery, which carries up to 20 years in prison.
Jones is accused of trying to convince a law enforcement officer to testify that the defendant in a Muscogee County case, Elijah Farrel, believed deceased victim Sara Holtrop was cheating on him. That would have provided a motive allowing Farrel to be charged with murder.
“It is important for the citizens of Georgia to know that our office will not hesitate to enforce the rule of law, including when it involves the actions of a public official,” Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said. “We look forward to presenting our case in court.”
A Muscogee County grand jury handed up the indictment Tuesday. The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Last Thursday, a grand jury in Glynn County indicted former Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson for misconduct in the investigation of the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery last year.
This story available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.