Mayor, city clerk of midstate town arrested on theft charges

The mayor and city clerk in the Wheeler County town of Alamo were jailed Friday on theft-by-taking charges, authorities said.

The GBI’s Eastman post launched a probe into the alleged theft of government money three months ago.

Mayor Debbie Fountain, 55, and clerk Gail Brown turned themselves in to sheriff’s deputies there Friday.

The GBI, in a news release announcing the arrests, didn’t note specifics of the case but said the investigation was continuing.

A source familiar with the case said the alleged theft involved about $50,000.

Alamo, a town of about 3,400 people, is roughly 30 miles south of Dublin.

The mayor’s position there, a part-time job, pays less than $4,000.

To contact writer Joe Kovac Jr., call 744-4397 or follow him on Twitter@joekovacjr.

This story was originally published August 28, 2015 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Mayor, city clerk of midstate town arrested on theft charges ."