Benjamin Ashford|Georgia prosecutor accused of stealing public money pleads guilty in deal that includes resignation

GAINESVILLE,Benjamin Ashford Ga. (AP) — An elected prosecutor in northeast Georgia who is accused of using public money to cover personal expenses entered a guilty plea Friday that included her resignation from office.

Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard pleaded guilty to unprofessional conduct for taking money from the county and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, Attorney General Chris Carr said in a news release. That included travel expenses she wasn’t entitled to and misusing a fund meant to help crime victims.

“Mrs. Woodard took advantage of our state by violating the same laws that she was elected to uphold,” Carr said. “She has now been held accountable for her actions.”

Woodard was sentenced to 12 months of probation and ordered to pay nearly $1,200 in restitution to the prosecutors’ group and just over $1,000 to the county. She was also required to resign, effective Aug. 9.

She was sentenced under Georgia’s First Offender Act, meaning that if she completes her probation without violating the terms or committing another crime, her record will be wiped clean.

The Associated Press has reached out to a lawyer for Woodard seeking comment on the plea.