SHERIFF'S CANDIDATE ACCUSED OF ACCEPTING PAYOFFS

ATLANTA - A sheriff's candidate was arrested after being accused of
accepting thousands of dollars from undercover FBI informants and
promising to give them special treatment if elected, including making
sure a planned murder would go unsolved.

Gary Allen Beebe, 42, of Cumming was arrested Tuesday - a week before
the state's primary elections - for promising contracts and other
privileges in exchange for payments if he is elected sheriff in
Forsyth County, according to an FBI affidavit.

Beebe is the only challenger to incumbent Ted Paxton for the county's
sheriff. Both are Republicans, so voters will choose the sheriff next
week.

The U.S. Attorney's Office was not commenting on Beebe's arrest, but
it provided the affidavit and a videotape of meetings in which Beebe
allegedly accepted payoffs.

In three meetings last week, Beebe allegedly accepted $15,000 from
informants.

During a meeting with one informant last Thursday, Beebe said he would
grant permission to rob known drug dealers in Forsyth County that have
eluded police, the affidavit said.

When the informant asked Beebe if he could "put a cap" in a person who
he felt had wronged him, Beebe responded that it would be an "unsolved
murder," FBI Special Agent Mark Sewell stated in the court document,
adding that the informant gave Beebe $3,000 during that meeting.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker released Beebe on a $15,000 bond
Wednesday. One of the conditions of Beebe's release is that he stay
away from the FBI informants, and other individuals whose names the
prosecution didn't want to mention in open court.

The prosecution asked Beebe's court-appointed attorney, Natasha Perdew
Silas, if she wanted to proceed with a preliminary hearing. Silas
showed Beebe two compact discs provided by the prosecution, he
whispered something to her and she requested that the preliminary
hearing be postponed until July 21.

Sewell said in the affidavit that the FBI began arranging meetings
between Beebe and three informants associated with an
adult-entertainment establishment in Fulton County. FBI spokesman
Steve Lazarus declined to comment about what led authorities to
investigate Beebe.

According to the affidavit, Beebe's other promises to the informants
included: guaranteeing the rights to towing services for the sheriff's
office and bonding services for the county jail; using his influence
with the county commission to help establish adult-entertainment
businesses in Forsyth County; and promising kickbacks from the
insurance company for the sheriff's office.

Paxton said it is possible that, if elected, Beebe could have
fulfilled the promises he is accused of making. "When you have someone
holding that office that is devoid of integrity, devoid of
accountability - by all means, yes, they could do that," Paxton said.

On Beebe's campaign Web site, under the heading "Code of Ethics," he
promises, "I shall ensure that during my tenure as sheriff I shall not
use the office of sheriff for private or personal gain."

Beebe has 15 years of law-enforcement experience and has worked in
Forsyth County, Brunswick and Palmetto. Paxton said Beebe worked under
him as a deputy for about 15 months in 2001 and 2002. Beebe's
performance was "marginal at best" and he had disciplinary problems,
Paxton said.

"He finally resigned, and we were glad to see him go," the sheriff
said.

Beebe and family members made no comment to reporters as they left the
federal court building Wednesday.