A federal grand jury has charged Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams, accusing him of accepting financial bribes to have DUI charges removed and illegally transferring a firearm to a convicted felon.
The six-count indictment, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, alleges Williams used his elected position to solicit and accept money from at least five people between August 2021 and April 2022 in exchange for dismissing their pending DUI citations in Burke County.
Williams responded on Facebook Tuesday, stating his legal team had advised him not to divulge the case’s contents.
“I want to express my faith in God; my full confidence; and the unwavering support of my family and friends and my legal defense team,” Williams stated. “Together, we will answer these charges.”
According to prosecutors, Williams is charged with five counts of Hobbs Act extortion under color of governmental authority. In each count, federal investigators claim Williams “unlawfully obtained United States currency, not due him or his office,” from a person named only as “Victim 1” through “Victim 5,” who allegedly promised to drop their DUI cases.
The claimed conduct is categorized as follows:
- Between Aug. 13 and Sept. 27, 2021 – payment from Victim 1 tied to a DUI citation.
- Between Sept. 12 and Sept. 13, 2021 – payment from Victim 2 tied to a DUI citation.
- On or about Jan. 13, 2022 – payment from Victim 3 tied to a DUI citation.
- Between Feb. 11 and March 9, 2022 – payment from Victim 4 tied to a DUI citation.
- Between April 2 and April 12, 2022 – payment from Victim 5 tied to a DUI citation.
The indictment states that Williams’ actions harmed or tried to affect interstate commerce on each count, which is required to pursue the charges under the federal Hobbs Act.
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