THOMASVILLE — A former Meigs City Council member and former Meigs City Hall employee posted bonds Wednesday on charges they defrauded Meigs city government.

Odessa Walden Sutton, who resigned from the city council in August, and Rene Boyd Williams, who left the city’s employ in early August, are charged with conspire to defraud state/political subdivision, a felony.

The women were arrested by the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office late Tuesday night at their respective residences.

An investigation began after Meigs City Manager Sydney Perry and Meigs Police Chief Gary Price contacted the sheriff’s office.

“They had discovered that (Miss) Sutton had paid her utility bill with a check, and she was in their system as someone the city could not accept a check from,” said Lt. Tim Watkins, sheriff’s office chief investigator.

Further investigation and records showed Sutton’s water and sewer bills had been credited to zero each month from March 2014 to the present. Said Watkins, “They had no records of a payment since 2014.”

The former city council member was asked to produce utilities payment records. “She could not provide any,” the investigator said.

Williams denied crediting Sutton’s account.

“The record clearly indicted the records had been credited each month by someone using her (Williams’) computer password,” Watkins explained.

Sutton, who served on the city council for close to two years, received credit for slightly more than $1,200 in water and sewer services.

“She didn’t like the direction were going in, and her term was up at the end of the year,” the Meigs city manager told the Times-Enterprise Wednesday.

Williams was terminated Aug. 7 for breach of confidentiality in a separate incident. She had been employed by the city for about five years.

Williams was employed as utilities clerk. Her job was to prepare and process water and sewer bills, accept payments and begin and/or end the services.

“She was also involved in collecting taxes,” Perry explained.

Sutton resigned from the city council a week or 10 days after Williams was terminated.

“They were very good friends,” the city manager explained.

Sutton, 49, 2067 Fainwood St., Meigs, and Williams, 40, 1150 Dixie Chastain Road, Ochlocknee, were released from the Thomas County Jail Wednesday on bonds of $1,100 each.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820.