Adel, Georgia, - On Monday, October 26, 2009, a Valdosta man was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Cook County Sheriff's Deputies after he arrived at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in Adel, Ga. Joseph Edwin Cornelius III, 28, was charged by the GBI with 3 felony counts of Computer Forgery. Cornelius had been hired as a consultant by Probate Court Judge Chase Daughtrey to help with the transition of court procedures and new accounting methods after Judge Daughtrey took office in January 2009.

The GBI office in Douglas was contacted by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office earlier in the month and requested to assist in the investigation of missing deposits from the Cook County Probate Court.  Probate Court Judge Daughtrey had contacted the Sheriff’s department after several daily deposits from the Probate Court had not been deposited in their account. All of the deposits, which included cash and checks in excess of $16,000.00, have been recovered. 

The investigation is being conducted by the Cook Sheriff's Office and the GBI. If anyone has information pertaining to the investigation, please contact the Cook County S.O. at 229-896-7471 or the GBI Douglas Office at 912-389-4103.

Contact Information:

SAC Russell Mansfield - 912-389-4103; Cook County Sheriff John Daughtrey - 229-896-7471