GBI reopens investigation of former Austell police chief after I-Team inquiry

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AUSTELL, Ga. - The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Cobb County District Attorney’s office is once again investigating former Austell Police Chief Richard Starrett.

The GBI had earlier investigated the then chief after the FOX 5 I-Team asked Austell about vet bills relating to the city’s K-9 units and his personal dogs.

But, the GBI closed the case with no charges filed.

Senior FOX 5 I-Team reporter Dale Russell says when he read the closed file and asked to interview the GBI on why the case was closed, they reopened it.

The ongoing GBI investigation of former Austell Police Chief Bob Starrett revolves around the department's K-9 dogs as well as two personal dogs owned by the then chief seen here in his backyard.

Here is how it all started. In the fall of 2021, Chief Starrett was one of the six original members of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission.

In November 2021, acting on a tip, the I-Team requested city vet bills for Austell Police Department's canine unit what we believed to be his own personal German shepherds.

When we made the request, the city told us they found "discrepancies in the (vet) bills" and called in the GBI to investigate both the chief and the K9 unit.

Following our story, then House Speaker David Ralston - who has since died - removed Starrett from the Cannabis Commission.

The GBI investigated for nearly 9 months and then closed the case with no public announcement.

The I-Team obtained the case file under the Georgia Open Records Act. The file concluded "there were not enough facts to establish….that BOB STARRETT had willfully committed theft against the Austell Police Department..."

The GBI was investigating a possible theft? We had only asked for vet bills. But, when we read the case file, we realized the GBI was looking at a lot more, including a number of expensive expenditures, like this $9,500 cashier's check written out of the Austell Police Drug Fund account.

According to the GBI file, the July 2018 a $9,500 cashier’s check was paid to the order of Bullard Animal Hospital. Both Chief Starrett and Dr. Gary Bullard, the then owner of Bullard Animal Hospital, told the GBI they "did not know what this (cashier’s check) was for."

Former DeKalb County District Attorney and current Western Carolina criminal justice professor J. Tom Morgan found it suspicious.

"There was that money that was supposedly gone to a vet for this animal, and nobody can recall," said Morgan.

So, what was the $9,500 for?

In the GBI file, the July 2018 cashier’s check for $9,500 is listed "for a K-9 purchase."

The GBI file indicate Austell police bought one German shepherd named Ariel from a Tennessee breeder around July 2018, the same time the cashier’s check was cut.

A GBI interview of an Austell K-9 handler revealed Ariel had given birth to two puppies before Austell police bought her and those two puppies belonged to Chief Starrett. Their names were Hulk and Chow. Starrett told the GBI he paid $600 for both puppies.

"It appears to be alleged misuse of drug asset forfeiture money," said Morgan.

We called the GBI to ask about the closing of the file. Soon, after, the GBI and the Cobb County District Attorney’s office decided to reopen the investigation. Our interview was put on hold. The investigation is once again ongoing.

"It leaves me to believe there was a cursory investigation and once you started digging into the weeds and you found things they overlooked, and they decided to reopen the file," said former prosecutor, J. tom Morgan.

We reached out to former chief Starrett and his lawyer, and neither one wanted to talk to us about the investigation.