Fifteen minutes after an FBI agent handed suspended Augusta Commissioner Sammie Sias a subpoena that might help detail how $150,000 in taxpayers funds was spent, Sias began deleting computer files, according to testimony presented Thursday, July 28.
On the third day of Sias’ federal trial on charges of destroying evidence material to an investigation and lying to a federal investigator, prosecutors wrapped up their case that Sias obstructed the federal investigation into what happened to $150,000 in taxpayer funds that the city gave for improvements to the Jamestown Community Center.
MORE: Augusta commissioner’s federal trial underway
Although the city owns the community center in south Augusta, it had an agreement with the Sandridge Community Association to run the center. Sias founded the association and served as its president for 20 years until allegations arose against him in 2019. He was indicted in July 2021.
Sias has pleaded not guilty to the charges. This morning his defense team intends to lay out its case in an opening statement and then present witnesses. The evidence is expected to close and the jury begin deliberations today, U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randall Hall told jurors at the close of the day Thursday.
The federal prosecutors’ final witnesses were an FBI forensic accountant, Megan Poelking, who traced $137,000 of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax money intended for Jamestown into Sias’ personal bank account, and FBI Special Agent Charles McKee III who led the Sias investigation.
The city of Augusta granted Sias’ request for the $150,000 in SPLOST funds for 30 improvement projects at the Jamestown Community Center. An agreement was signed March 18, 2014. The money was reportedly used on those improvements, according to documents given to the city. But the city had no actual invoices or receipts from vendors or service providers. The federal investigation only located 10 sets of invoices and receipts by subpoenaing the businesses directly, Poelking said.
McKee testified he served a subpoena on the latest president of the Sandridge Community Association, Jacqueline Fason, on July 30, 2019. She read it in front of McKee and immediately called Sias and read the subpoena to him, too, McKee testified. Fason told the jury Wednesday that she didn’t have any of the financial information and that Sias had taken charge of the improvement projects. The subpoena required all financial documentation related to the SPLOST funds set aside for the Jamestown improvements.
“That’s how you follow the money,” McKee said of the reason for the subpoena.
Because Fason told him that the bank statements were sent to Sias’ home, he served a subpoena on Sias for the bank records on Aug. 5, 2019, around 5:50 p.m.
McKee testified Thursday he took a quick look at the laptop computer seized from Sias’ home during the execution of a search warrant on Aug. 8, 2019. He saw that 15 minutes after he handed Sias his subpoena, computer files – with labels indicating they could contain documents about Jamestown and the SPLOST money – disappeared from the computer.
A forensic examination of the computer revealed approximately 7,400 files were deleted beginning Aug. 5, 2019. A special software program enabled the examiner to recreate the files, but nearly all were corrupted and impossible to read, McKee said.
On Aug. 9, 2019, McKee went to Sias’ home to return some personal items that were taken during the execution of the search warrant. McKee recorded the exchange with Sias that evening when he asked Sias if agents had all of the Jamestown financial information maintained by the Sandridge Community Association. Sias assured McKee he had everything.
Sias was into his second term as the city commissioner for Augusta District 4 when he was indicted. The governor suspended him from office.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
