EMS director charged

Local news

January 23, 2010

By PEGGY KING The Cordele Dispatch Sat Jan 23, 2010, 05:56 PM EST

VIENNA — A former Dooly County EMS director has been terminated as a result of charges lodged against him earlier this week.

Gary Rothwell, agent in charge of the GBI Perry office confirmed Friday that Tony Heath who had directed the Emergency Medical Service here about 10 years has been charged with financial transaction card fraud.

Heath was notified Friday that he has been terminated, according to Dooly County Administrator Steve Sanders. The former director had been employed with the EMS since 1995, Sanders said.

Tommy Phillips, a former director and EMS employee in Dooly County for more than 30 years, has been appointed interim director. He will serve while county officials go through the process of advertising and hiring a new full-time director, Sanders explained.

GBI agents took Heath into custody Tuesday, Jan. 19 following a two-month investigation. Rothwell said Dooly County Sheriff Van Peavy requested that his office conduct the investigation since it involved a county employee.

Sanders said department heads who have county credit cards are required to provide receipts when they make purchases. The county administrator said he discovered in October of 2009 that Heath had failed to turn in the proper documentation for some charges on the county card he was using.

When Sanders requested that documentation, Heath still did not provide it. At that point Sanders and the county commissioners asked Peavy to investigate the matter.

When he was arrested Tuesday, Heath was taken to the Crisp County Justice Center. He was released on bond Wednesday, Jan. 20.

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