FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2021
For press inquiries only, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Attorney General Steve Marshall Announces Indictment and Arrest of Lanett Mayor Jonathon Kyle McCoy on Felony Ethics Charges
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the arrest today of Jonathon Kyle McCoy, the mayor of Lanett, on three felony charges of using his official position or office for personal gain. McCoy, 56, surrendered at the Chambers County Jail this morning, with a bond set at $30,000.
Attorney General Marshall’s Special Prosecutions Division presented evidence to a Chambers County grand jury on February 11, which returned an indictment* against McCoy on February 12.
Specifically, the indictment charges McCoy with the following three counts:
- using his official position or office to allow a dependent and/or family member to access and use a 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe owned by the City of Lanett without a lawful purpose,
- using his official position or office to obtain extensions and/or waivers of City of
Lanett utility charges involving an amount equal to or a portion of $43,302.32 in U.S. currency, - using his official position or office to obtain personal purchases made on a City of Lanett account valued at an amount equal to or a portion of $643.84 in U.S. currency and/or labor of a personal nature by City of Lanett employees, which was paid for with overtime wages.
If convicted, McCoy faces a maximum penalty of two to 20 years and a $30,000 fine for each of the three counts, which are class B felonies. Furthermore, Section 36-9-2 of the Code of Alabama states that when an officeholder is convicted of a felony, the office is vacated from the time of conviction.
No further information about the investigation or McCoy’s alleged crimes other than that stated in the indictment may be released at this time.
*An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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