“Cheryl Sewell was turning in time (sheets) for her husband Steve Sewell even though he did not work at the Center.”

As the Sewell Case continues, Steve and Cheryl Sewell are set to appear in Magistrate Court January 12th for their bond hearing. On December 7th the two were arrested for Theft by Deception, Unlawful Falsification of a Public Record, and Theft by Taking. They were arraigned on January 4th. However, the couple requested the arraignment process be continued from January 4th to January 25th.

According to an investigation conducted by Criminal Investigator J.K. Crook and Pickens County Chief Deputy Joe McDonald, the alleged crimes date back to July, 2010. In the Affidavit for Arrest, Crook explains that while working as Site Administrator with Mountain Education Center at the Jasper Campus,

“Cheryl Sewell was turning in time (sheets) for her husband Steve Sewell even though he did not work at the Center.”

Director and Superintendent of the Mountain Education Center Mitchell Barrett estimated a total loss of $28,000.

Mountain Education Center, a State-funded Charter School, has 320 employees. Only 17 of these, however, are full-time status, where the rest are part-time employees. As such, the report shows that Mrs. Sewell approached Barrett, saying that she felt she was not appropriately compensated for her role as Site Administrator, a part-time position. She then suggested that she submit time-sheets on her husband’s behalf to compensate for her work. Barrett told Mrs. Sewell that would not be appropriate and that

“he could not approve this action,”

the report, says. On June 29, 2011, Mountain Education Center Director of Personnel Larry Shook told Investigator Crook and Chief Deputy McDonald that Mrs. Sewell told him that her husband, Steve, had no knowledge of the time-sheets in his name. According to the affidavit, however, Cheryl and Steve Sewell applied for a loan in November 2010. On the loan application, Steve and Cheryl Sewell listed Mountain Education Center as income sources current as of the date of application. A GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) report concluded that Steve Sewell did in fact list Mountain Education Center as his source of income. Steve Sewell, a former Head Football Coach for Pickens High School, resigned from his position on November 18th, 2011.

Following a December 21st recusal by Judge Amanda Weaver, Judge Roger Bradley is presiding over the case. The bond hearing will be held at the West Annex in the old Post Office at 35 West Chruch Street in Jasper, due to Couthouse renovations.

FYN will follow this story as it develops