GBI Arrests VFW Post Commander in Lamar County Theft Investigation

Barnesville, GA (November 30, 2023) – On November 30, 2023, Richard Allen Wright, age 44, of Barnesville, Georgia, was arrested and charged with theft by taking. On Friday, August 4, 2023, the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to assist with a theft investigation that occurred at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Barnesville, Georgia.

The investigation revealed that Wright, while acting as the commander of the VFW post, transferred money from the VFW bank account to his personal account. These transfers took place from August 21, 2020, until April 25, 2022. Wright transferred over $35,000.00, which he used for his personal gain.

Wright was booked into the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office.

This investigation is active and ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office at 770-358-5159 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Milledgeville at 478-445-4173. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.