Taylor County tax assessor and man charged in elderly abuse probe

An investigation over the misappropriation of more than $40,000 has led to charges against Taylor County tax assessor Charlyn Lemons and her husband, Jeffrey Lemons, in an elderly abuse case, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Friday.

Charlyn Lemons, 50, and Jeffrey Lemons, 54, each face one count of theft by taking, financial transaction card fraud, financial transaction card theft, financial identity fraud, false documents and writing and exploitation of an elder person. All of the charges are felony offenses and the investigation is ongoing.

The GBI started an investigation earlier this month after a request from the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office on alleged financial abuse of a former Taylor County resident. Although the person was over 70 years old and living with the Lemons, the sheriff’s office received the request from a relative living out of state.

An investigation determined that the Lemons befriended the elderly person in July 2015 and began to have the victim sign personal checks benefiting the Lemons. The probe also revealed the Lemons asked the person to “co-sign” for an all-terrain vehicle and a mobile home using funds from the elderly person.

Four months later, a relative of the elderly person relocated the person to another state but purchases continued on the victim’s debit card. Agents said more than $40,000 has been misappropriated.

The Lemons weren’t related to the victim.

Once the investigation is completed, it will be turned over to the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office for review.

This story was originally published May 6, 2016 at 5:37 PM with the headline "Taylor County tax assessor and man charged in elderly abuse probe."