More Details Released in Second Arrest of Former Lavonia Assistant Fire Chief

A follow up to story we first told you about on Tuesday regarding the Habersham County arrest of former Lavonia Assistant Fire Chief Shane Bentley.  According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Cornelia Police Department requested the GBI Cleveland Office investigate a forgery identified at the fire department.  Bentley had been working as an assistant fire chief for the city of Cornelia Fire Department.  The forgery has to do with the donation of gear to the fire department by another fire department. In addition, the items that were donated were not all accounted for after a Cornelia Fire Department inventory.

On February 2, Bentley turned himself in to the Clarkesville Police Department.  He was charged with theft by taking and first-degree forgery.  Bentley was released on $3,500 bond.  Once the investigation is finished, the case will be sent to the Mountain Judicial Circuit for prosecution.

Now Habersham reports Bentley was terminated by the Cornelia Fire Department in September, 2022.  Details regarding the firing have not been made public.

Bentley was previously arrested in Franklin County back in June, 2020.  This arrest came after city officials in Lavonia discovered unusually high expenditures by the Lavonia Volunteer Fire Department.  Bentley had been an assistant chief there at the time.  Jesse Maddox, GBI Agent in Charge for the Athens office, said Bentley allegedly purchased several equipment items not for use by the fire department.  After an investigation by the Athens office, Bentley was arrested and charged with four counts of felony theft by taking.  He was fired from the Lavonia Volunteer Fire Department in 2020.  Bentley later pled not guilty and was indicted in June, 2021.  Bentley is out on a $16,000 bond from the Franklin County charges.  So far, that case has not gone to trial.

WLHR News will continue to follow this story and bring you more information as it becomes available.