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On August 20th, 2025 booking records indicated that a Newnan woman, LaKina Demethra Gay, 49, was booked into the Coweta County Jail by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). Further research indicated that the suspect had been an employee of the Coweta County Corrections Division.
Our investigation into the booking showed that Gay’s employment with Coweta County ended on January 8th, 2024.
Coweta County Statement
The following statement was provided by Coweta County regarding the investigation.
We received an anonymous complaint regarding potential fraud in late 2023 and immediately began an internal investigation. After initial findings, we turned the case over to an independent forensic auditor and contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). In addition to cooperating with the GBI throughout their investigation, we immediately implemented controls recommended by the auditor to prevent the opportunity for fraud. The scope of this investigation is limited to the Corrections Division. Since this is an active investigation, we cannot comment further.
We hold our employees to a high ethical standard of conduct and any inappropriate actions or violations to policies are handled accordingly.
GBI Investigation
The GBI has issued the following press release regarding the investigation and arrest.
Newnan, GA (August 22, 2025) – The GBI has arrested and charged Lakina Gay, age 49, of Newnan, Georgia, with five counts of Theft by Taking. On Friday, November 3, 2023, the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office requested GBI to conduct an investigation into theft of funds by an employee from the Coweta County Department of Corrections.
Preliminary information indicates that Gay reportedly misappropriated between $50,000 and $100,000 worth of funds from the Coweta County Prison Commissary account from 2019 to 2023. Gay served as an office manager during this time.
Gay was arrested and booked into the Coweta County Jail on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.
Anyone with any information about this investigation is encouraged to call the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Columbus at (706) 565-7888. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Once the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
LaKina Demethra Gay, 49, of Newnan
LaKina Demethra Gay, 49, of Newnan, was arrested by GBI agents on August 20th, 2025 and booked into the Coweta County Jail on the following charges.
- Theft by Taking (F)
- Theft by Taking (F)
- Theft by Taking (F)
- Theft by Taking (F)
- Theft by Taking (F)
Booking documents show that Gay was released on August 21st after posting a bond.
Further Information
According to a 2019 article by the Newnan Times-Herald, Gay was the Office Manager at the Coweta County Prison working under Warden Bill McKenzie.
An additional 2016 article by the Newnan Times-Herald regarding the County honoring employees for years of service, at the time Gay had worked for the County for 10 years, meaning at the time of her departure in 2023 she’d worked for the County a total of nearly 17 years.
Businesses & Foundation
According to Secretary of State Corporations Division records, Gay is a Officer in the following corporations.
- Account Simply LLC
- Formed August 18th, 2021
- Remains Active and Complaint as of 2025
According to the IRS website, Account Simply LLC, is a registered E-File provider, while Intuit, the maker of Quickbooks Accounting Software, shows Gay and Account Simply LLC as a ” ProAdvisor ” within their network.
- Diamond Dreams Foundation Inc
- Formed March 15th, 2023
- Administrative Dissolution filed June 18th, 2025
It’s unclear what the purpose of this foundation was intended to be or what caused it’s dissolution.