Charles Bolton terminated from sheriff's department
Former Forrest County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Charles Bolton has been officially terminated from office, county officials confirmed Monday.
County Administrator Betty Carlisle told the Hattiesburg American Bolton's termination was effective Thursday, the day after Bolton and his wife, Linda Bolton, each were found guilty of five counts of filing false tax returns. Charles Bolton also was found guilty on four counts of tax evasion, all in connection to returns filed for tax years 2010-13.
After the indictment, the U.S. attorney's office allowed Charles Bolton to stay on the job as chief deputy for the Forrest County Sheriff's Department, but now that he has been convicted, that is no longer possible.
"The sheriff (Billy McGee) brought in his personnel action form — separation of service, is what they say," Carlisle said.
McGee declined to comment Monday afternoon.
On Friday, Charles Bolton was ordered to surrender his badge, firearms, ammunition and law enforcement credentials.
"It is my understanding that (Charles Bolton's county vehicle) has been turned in," said David Hogan, Forrest County Board of Supervisors president.
The Boltons each were released on $25,000 unsecured bonds. As convicted felons, neither is allowed to possess firearms or weapons of any kind.
The decision to release the couple was based on whether the Boltons are thought to be a flight risk or a danger to others, said Fred P. Harper, special assistant U.S. attorney in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, who prosecuted the three-day trial last week at William M. Colmer Federal Courthouse in Hattiesburg.
It took a jury more than five hours Thursday to find Charles Bolton guilty on nine counts of the indictment and Linda Bolton guilty on five counts. The jury was deadlocked on four counts of tax evasion involving Linda Bolton. The Boltons were found not guilty of the tax evasion charges for 2009.
A mistrial was declared on the four tax evasion charges against Linda Bolton for which the jury could not reach a verdict.
The Boltons were indicted in March. The couple owns two Hattiesburg businesses, Sports 22 Restaurant and Hall Avenue Package Store, through which they were accused or convicted of trying to hide income by "cashing tens of thousands of dollars in checks purportedly issued in payment for liquor, wine and catering services to prevent those payments from being recorded on the business bank statements."
The couple also allegedly provided deceptive records and made false statements, telling their tax preparer that some payments for goods were loans.
In addition, the Boltons reportedly "knew and believed they did not report a substantial amount of income" for the tax years 2009 to 2013.
The Boltons will be sentenced at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 19 in the William M. Colmer Federal Courthouse.