Ex-Hall County Solicitor General, Stephanie Woodard, admitted guilt this past Friday to the illegal use of county and Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (PAC) funds to finance personal expenses. In a case concerning unprofessional behavior, Woodard faced charges for fraudulent travel expenses, claims, and misuse of financial resources.
Charged with a single count of unprofessional conduct, Woodard was responsible for submitting a series of travel expense claims to which she had no rightful claim. Furthermore, the charges included improper usage of financial resources, originating from both the county and PAC. Originally, Woodward was indicted on 24 counts, 11 of those counts were for theft by taking and the other 13 for false statements and writings.
The former Solicitor General faced these charges because she unlawfully used funds for her personal expenses. The illegally obtained money from the county and the PAC was utilized to cover different types of expenditure, all unrelated to her professional duties.
As part of her plea deal, Woodard has resigned and has been sentenced to 12 months of probation under the first offenders act. She will also be required to pay restitution.