The U.S. Attorney’s Office declared on Thursday that the chairman of the Newton County Board of Commissioners and a local attorney who was just elected to the board had been federally charged with multiple counts of money laundering.
The $150,000 real estate commission is allegedly improperly pocketed by Chairman Marcello Banes and Commissioner-elect Stephanie Lindsey, who is both an attorney and real estate broker.
After the payment, Lindsey allegedly filed bogus business deductions to lower her income taxes, and Banes allegedly lied to FBI investigators during the inquiry.
“By allegedly laundering proceeds obtained from a fraud conspiracy, these defendants violated the trust placed in them by their client, their constituents, and their fellow commissioners,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan stated. “Public officials who undermine the public’s faith in our institutions by abusing their power for personal gain must be held accountable.”
A Joint Development Authority (JDA) has been in operation in Jasper, Morgan, Walton, and Newton counties since 1999. Its goal is to create an industrial area that will draw investment and jobs. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Banes was a member of the JDA’s eight-person board of directors.
An unnamed business intended to purchase 40 acres in 2018. After the corporation purchased the site, Banes arranged for Lindsey’s real estate group to get a $150,000 payment from them.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Lindsey handed Barnes $100,000 through their new corporate structure as soon as she received the cash. The majority of the funds were allegedly then spent by Banes on a new home he was building in Newton County.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that neither the business nor the other JDA participants were aware of Barnes’ payment.
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In an interview in 2023, the chairman is charged with lying to FBI special agents, claiming he was unaware that Lindsey was the sale’s broker.
“Banes and Lindsey undermined the public’s confidence in government and business in Georgia,” FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley stated. “This indictment is a stern warning that anyone who violates our laws will be brought to face justice.”
Recently elected to the Newton County commission, Lindsey expressed her disappointment with the indictment to Atlanta News First, saying she is eager for the truth to be revealed.
“I think as an attorney, as a role model and as a public servant in my community, I literally would never do anything to violate the law and jeopardize my reputation that I’ve built so long in the legal community and my community,” Lindsey stated. “And it’s a big disappointment today.”
