Federal prosecutors in Georgia say a former county commissioner used her elected position to extort $1,000 from a contractor.
Sharon Barnes Sutton was arraigned Tuesday before a U.S. District Court judge in Atlanta on charges of extortion and bribery.
An indictment says the 59-year-old Sutton was serving on the DeKalb County Commission in 2014 when she demanded a contractor working on a new wastewater treatment plant pay her $500 each month. Authorities say the contractor made $500 payments to Sutton in June and July 2014 before the FBI stepped in.
Sutton’s attorney, Bret Williams, told WSB-TV she is innocent and “ready and willing to face any allegations against her.”
Sutton lost her commission seat in the 2016 election.
Source: Associated Press
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