Remove ads by Supporting Independent News
Written by: A. Smith
Published January 15, 2026 @ 9:10 AM ET
TOWNS COUNTY, Ga. – Two former high-ranking members of the Towns County Sheriff’s Office have been arrested on felony charges in separate, unrelated investigations, marking the latest chapter in a turbulent year for the agency.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Tuesday that Major Johnny McCoy and former Sgt. Andrew Glass were charged following joint probes with the sheriff’s office. Both men were fired from their positions.
McCoy, who served as the major of law enforcement operations, is charged with theft by deception, violation of oath of office, and three counts of false statements and writings. Authorities said the investigation into McCoy began in July 2025 after Superior Court Judge Joy Parks raised concerns about potential theft connected to the Enotah Judicial Circuit’s accountability court program.
McCoy had been hired to conduct home visits for participants in the program, but investigators said a review of those visits revealed significant discrepancies. Officials have not disclosed the exact nature of those discrepancies or the total value involved. McCoy was terminated at the time of his arrest and is being booked into the Union County Detention Center.
In a separate investigation, former Sgt. Andrew Glass was charged with theft by conversion, violation of oath of office and false statements. Sheriff Anthony Coleman requested a GBI investigation on Dec. 19 after two firearms were discovered missing from the sheriff’s office inventory.
Investigators have since recovered one of the missing guns, but the second firearm has not been located. Authorities have not said how the weapon was removed or whether it has been connected to any other incidents. Glass, who was assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division, was fired last week and is being booked into the Towns County Detention Center.
Sheriff Coleman praised investigators in a statement Tuesday, thanking the GBI and members of his office for their work and recognizing staff who “have continued to serve the Office and community with integrity.” The sheriff’s office said it will not comment further while the GBI remains the charging agency.
The arrests come amid a series of scandals that have shaken the Towns County Sheriff’s Office over the past year. In October 2025, former Deputy Austin Bradburn was indicted for making a false report after investigators determined he shot himself in the leg during a 2024 traffic stop and falsely claimed he had been attacked, triggering a large emergency response.
That incident also led to a physical confrontation between then-Sheriff Kenneth Henderson and Hiawassee Police Officer José Carvajal, who responded to assist. Body camera footage showed Henderson berating and shoving Carvajal, prompting a state misconduct investigation.
Later that month, Henderson was indicted on seven counts, including simple battery on a police officer and false imprisonment. Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Henderson for 60 days following a recommendation from an investigative panel. Anthony Coleman, a retired Georgia State Patrol lieutenant, was sworn in as interim sheriff.
Once the investigations involving McCoy and Glass are complete, both cases will be turned over to the Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Authorities said the investigations remain active and urged anyone with information to contact the Towns County Sheriff’s Office or the GBI’s Cleveland regional office.