Velvet Riggins and Attorney Mark Brimberry
Riggins and attorney Brimberry leave the courthouseDougherty County School System board member Velvet Riggins was arraigned today for fraudulently obtaining free or reduced school lunches for her child.
She entered not guilty pleas to four charges about noon today.
The charges are:
- Public records fraud, a felony
- Theft by Taking, a felony
- Theft by Taking, a misdemeanor
- Providing false information to illegally obtain reduced price lunch, a misdemeanor
Morningside Elementary Principal Gloria Baker and her husband John face fraud and theft charges. Riggins' attorney said she wants the community to know she is not stepping down from the board, because she is innocent.
"She did not do what she is accused of doing," said her Attorney Mark Brimberry. "Anybody who can look at the documents that the state is traveling on. A blind man can see she did not do what she is accused of doing."
But South Georgia D.A. Joe Mulholland said,"We hope to try to get this thing resolved both for the citizens of Dougherty County and South Georgia. And also for the defendant. I think that it's important to get these things resolved one way or another as soon as possible. We'll certainly try to get it done by the end of the summer."
In a hearing this afternoon, prosecutors got permission to introduce Riggins' free lunch applications from as far back as 2007 in her trial.
Prosecutors say after Baker's arrest, someone took Riggins' forms and used white out to change the figures on them.
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