The Georgia Department of Transportation is currently looking into allegations of fraud that enabled significant road projects to proceed even though the state did not possess the land.
The paperwork indicating GDOT’s legal acquisition of the land along SR 9 for the purpose of road widening and improvement was filed by a state employee.
According to GDOT, the employee who was responsible for the paperwork had provided false information, leading to the agency falsely believing that it owned the land in question. As a result, GDOT no longer has ownership of the land that it previously thought it did.
According to the GDOT, the ongoing project on SR 9, stretching from Windward Parkway to the Forsyth County line, has been put on hold due to a predicament caused by one of their former employees.
Natalie Dale, spokesperson for GDOT, stated that immediate action was taken upon discovery of the issue. An investigation was launched and policy and procedures were thoroughly examined to ensure that such an incident would not occur in the future.
According to Dale, complaints from residents along state route nine prompted their investigation into the practices of Felicia Pennyman, a right-of-way acquisition specialist. This investigation began just two weeks ago.
According to her, the investigation revealed that Pennyman had committed a significant fraud by submitting fabricated documents claiming that she had obtained the land for the state, when in reality, she had not done so.
It remains unclear why she committed the act, but it seems unlikely that financial gain was her motive.
On Tuesday, Richard Elliot from Channel 2 made a visit to her residence in DeKalb County, hoping to receive some answers. However, there was no response at the door.
Milton’s Mayor, Peyton Jamison, expressed his dissatisfaction with the recent revelation and vowed to advocate for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to restore the road to its previous state.
Elliot received a shocked and stunned response from Jamison who expressed his uncertainty by stating that they have a lot of questions and are eagerly awaiting answers.
According to Dale, Pennyman’s negligence extends beyond the current project under investigation. He failed to obtain land for four other projects in the metro Atlanta area, all of which must now come to a halt.
The agency was left in a state of shock upon hearing these revelations, as stated by her.
Dale emphasized that despite having thousands of employees, it only takes one person to shatter the trust. However, it takes the collective effort of all to rebuild it.
At present, Pennyman is not being charged with any criminal offense. However, the Georgia Attorney General’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General are currently investigating the case, indicating that there may be further consequences in the future.