Former Georgia principal of the year charged with financial crimes
Dr. Chad Stone (Tift County High School)
TIFTON, Ga. - A former Georgia high school principal has been arrested on multiple charges connected to theft and credit card misuse.
Dr. Chad Stone, 50, is accused of misusing school credit cards for unauthorized purposes while he was principal of Tift County High School.
Stone turned himself in to the Tift County Jail on Wednesday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reports.
According to officials, the Tifton Police Department requested the GBI to investigate after hearing reports of financial misconduct. Stone resigned from his position as principal on Feb. 12.
The Tifton Gazette reports that the county's board of education refused to renew Stone's contract at a meeting on Jan. 11.
Stone was named the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals' 2023 Georgia High School Teacher of the Year.
He's now facing charges of theft by taking and unauthorized use of a financial transaction card and misuse of government-issued cards.
The investigation is ongoing. If you have any information regarding the charges, call the Tifton Police Department at (229) 382-3132 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Sylvester at (229) 777-2080.