Decatur City Employee Charged With Theft, Released from Jail

An alert Decatur city employee’s suspicions led to felony theft by taking charges against a fellow municipal court clerk, according to Andrea Arnold, assistant city manager for administrative services.

The Decatur Police Department arrested Sonequa L. James Friday on the allegations, according to Arnold. James was released from DeKalb County jail on a $30,000 bond late Saturday afternoon, according to a report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

A continuing investigation may result in additional charges, Arnold said. 

James, 37, has worked for the Municipal Court since 2006, Arnold said, and previously worked as a 911 dispatcher for the city’s police department. Arnold said that James so far was found to have allegedly taken just under $10,000.

“There was paperwork for two deposits, but the funds were not there to support the deposits,” Arnold said in a phone interview Saturday.

She cited a case that raised suspicions of another municipal court clerk, one of three full-time clerks. A person who had paid for a traffic citation received notice from the state Department of Drivers’ Services that he hadn’t paid for the citation and that his license would be suspended. He had proof of paying for the citation in cash, and went to the Decatur Municipal Court office to inquire, raising questions in the clerk’s mind.

“As soon as the other clerk has suspicions, she brought it to my attention,” Arnold said. “That incident triggered the investigation.”

The investigation began Monday, she said.  In an initial statement issued Friday, Arnold said, “Ms. James has been suspended without pay and her termination is pending. “The city will not tolerate behavior that undermines the public’s trust in our government.  We intend to prosecute Ms. James to the fullest extent possible under the law.”