PINEVIEW, Ga. — Arrest warrants for Pineview Mayor Brandon Holt show he used the popular payment app, Cash App, to steal nearly $65,000 from the city. It comes out to around $143 for every Pineview resident.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Monday Holt was arrested this month, charged with 75 counts of theft by taking. It's one count for each Cash App transaction between June 26, 2023 and Oct. 11, 2023. The warrant says the money went from the city's general account to Holt's own account.
People in Pineview had mixed feelings about the news.
"He's always done right by me. He's never done any wrong. He doesn't seem like he's a conniving, evil, greedy person at all," Steven Booker said.
He lives in Pineview and also works for the city. He doesn't believe the accusations.
"I don't see them to be true. You know, it's like, 'Why would you get in this position to take away from the hardworking people of this city?'" he said.
Shane Leverett says a lot of the town is talking about it.
"You know, in a small town, you hear everything. We've heard $120,000, $140,000. You know, so, I mean, he deserves his day in court, just like everybody else," he said.
Leverett says he doesn't know what to think, but he does worry about Holt's, and the town's, safety. According to Holt's Facebook page, he was the victim of an August drive-by shooting in LaGrange.
"What if somebody strikes again and somebody's caught in the crossfire?" Leverett said.
Holt is out on bond, but he wasn't in city hall Thursday afternoon when 13WMAZ tried to get his explanation of the accusations.
This is not the first time Holt has been in legal trouble. Right now, he's awaiting trial in Bibb County for nine counts of identity fraud. His indictment claims he stole more than $22,000 from Macon Asphalt starting in 2018.