Investigators Search DeKalb CEO's Home

DeKalb County investigators searched the home and office of county CEO Burrell Ellis on Monday morning, along with several other county government offices.

According to the warrants, which were released by the DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk's office, the warrants sought:

Books, computers and hard drives with information about vendors and contracts with DeKalb County, county probation services, lobbying groups, county Watrshed Management, the Watershed Management Capital Improvement Program, ambulance services and all documents about Sentinel Probtion Services, Montgomery Watson, Rural Metro Ambulance, Massey-Bowers and the Ferguson Group and all campaign financial information.

The warrants also sought the computers and electronic devices for assistants Nina Hall and Karen Williams, chief of Staff Hakim Hilliard and Joel Alvarado.

The search warrants were for:

• Ellis's house at 5614 Mountain View Point in Stone Mountain.

• Ellis's DeKalb County office on he sixth floor of the building at 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur.

• 3290 Northside Parkway, Suite 775, in Atlanta.

• The DeKalb County IT Department in the Calloway Building at 120 W. Trinity Place, Decatur.

• The DeKalb County Finance Office in the Manuel Maloof Building at 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.

• The DeKalb County Elections Office at 4380 Memorial Drive, outside Decatur.

• The DeKalb County Purchasing and Contracting Office in the Manuel Maloof Building at 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.

From a story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Three unmarked police cars were parked outside Ellis’s home in the Southland subdivision, Channel 2 said.

The search comes on the same day as Ellis testified before a special grand jury investigating county watershed operations.

Ellis appeared before local media shortly before 1 p.m. and said he's unaware of any wrongdoing by him or those within his office related to the department's bidding.

He also said he hasn't had any inappropriate contact with county vendors that do business with the department.

"We're just going to continue to cooperate [with the investigation]," Ellis said. "I don't know that I'm a target. … It's a pretty broad warrant they've issued."

He also so he was concerned for his visiting 83-year-old mother, who was the only person at his home when the search started. He and his department have cooperated with District Attorney Robert James' investigation since its beginning, he said.

"I'm not sure why they chose to do it that way, but they did," Ellis said of the morning search.

District 2 Commissioner Jeff Rader, in a brief phone interview, said it was too soon to comment.

"I really can't react to it," he said. "I really don't know any more than you do."

Check back for more information.