White, Ga. police chief, officer arrested

WHITE, Ga. - Agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have arrested the police chief and an officer in the city of White.

Chief David King and Officer Blake Scheff face charges of theft by extortion, and violation of oath by a public officer.

Agents said the men arrested people on fabricated charges, then reduced the criminal charges to a citation and collected the fines.

The arrests come more than a month after a raid at city hall by state officials. King and Scheff were placed on administrative leave at the time.

The investigation started last October at the request of the Bartow County District Attorney's Office. GBI agents said the charges stem from cases dating between December 2011 and April 2015.

The city of White has a population of about 700.

The city manager is Jane Richards, who is King's wife. The police department is composed of King, Scheff, who is married to King's step-daughter, and a part-time officer who works one day a week.

The arrests have prompted the police department to close for the time, forcing the Bartow County Sheriff's Office to step in..