A Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office deputy is on paid administrative leave while officials investigate allegations that he pawned two guns he was issued for duty.
Maj. John Gibson said Chris Hammontree was placed on leave Friday after a routine check of area pawn shops revealed a shotgun and a rifle Hammontree had been issued were pawned at American Pawn on Hamilton Street in Dalton. Gibson said the pawn shop owner has been cooperative and is not under investigation.
Gibson said the revelation came about as part of a system put in place several years ago in which local pawn shops send periodic lists containing information about recent transactions so police can monitor whether goods are legitimately pawned.
“The very system that we put in place to help catch illegal activity, apparently it works,” Gibson said. “He was trying to gain funds by pawning the weapon. That in itself can be theft by conversion.”
A phone number for Hammontree could not be found.
Gibson said in addition to the internal investigation into sheriff’s office policies possibly being violated, there is a parallel criminal investigation. He said the sheriff’s office will ask District Attorney Bert Poston to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.
Information on how long Hammontree has worked for the sheriff’s office wasn’t immediately available, but Gibson said it is “several years.” Gibson said the internal investigation will likely be complete within a week.
Local News
September 25, 2012
Deputy under investigation for allegedly pawning weapons
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