A state-level investigation into financial discrepancies within the Bulloch County Public Works Department has concluded without criminal charges, bringing a close to a months-long inquiry that centered on contracts awarded for disaster cleanup.
The Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (PAC), which took over the case after Ogeechee Circuit District Attorney Robert Busbee recused himself, officially notified the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) on August 20 that the case was closed.
In a letter to GBI Special Agent Justin Jones, State Prosecutor Christopher A. George wrote, "Based on your findings and our analysis of the case, there is no readily provable criminal intent, and the case is declined."
The GBI investigation, initiated on February 28 at the request of Busbee, focused on financial discrepancies related to invoices and bidding procedures, particularly for contracts related to emergency disaster cleanup funding.
The inquiry gained public attention during the March 4 Bulloch County Board of Commissioners meeting when Cassandra Mikell of the Bulloch Action Coalition raised concerns about the county’s continued reliance on emergency spending. Mikell questioned a $500,000 expenditure on hauling materials by J.L. Derriso Trucking and Sand Creek Construction.
She highlighted that invoices from Sand Creek Construction, a company owned by Clay Conner, the brother of Commissioner Toby Conner, lacked specific details such as load sizes and delivery locations.
The relationship between the county and Sand Creek Construction added a layer of scrutiny to the case. Commissioner Toby Conner acknowledged the conflict of interest in a past meeting.
In defense of the county’s process, Public Works Director Dink Butler detailed how his department rented trucks from multiple local companies in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene. Butler stated that the county was following a directive from the Board of Commissioners to prioritize local businesses and that the rental rates were competitive.
He stated that Bulloch County Public works had a very good working relationship with Sand Creek that predated Commissioner Conner being elected to the Commission. He also stressed that all truck activity was logged and verified daily for potential FEMA and GEMA reimbursement. Butler acknowledged that invoice clarity could be improved.
The investigation and public scrutiny have had a significant impact on the community, particularly on county leaders and the Conner family.
Attorney Jim Durham, a former federal prosecutor, addressed the Bulloch County Commissioners on August 19 on behalf of Clay Conner and his company.
Durham stated that he had personally reviewed all related documentation and found that the allegations of corruption were baseless, adding that Conner had cooperated fully with GBI agents.
“I know public corruption, and I know fraud,” Durham told the commissioners. “And the allegations that have been made against Clay and his company are as far from that as you could possibly imagine.”
In a statement released after the PAC’s decision, Bulloch County Communications Director Dal Cannady expressed gratitude that the matter had been put to rest.
"Regarding the recent memo from the Prosecuting Attorney's Council of Georgia concerning the GBI investigation involving Bulloch County and Sand Creek," Cannady said, "Back in the Spring, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation requested records from our Public Works Department concerning our use of Sand Creek Land Construction on emergency projects. We cooperated fully with the GBI throughout this process, though with limited information about the exact nature of the investigation.
We were notified by one media outlet of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council memo indicating that the investigation has been closed and are thankful that the questions surrounding this matter have been put to rest.
We have always stood by our dedicated Bulloch County employees and will continue to do so. Public Works Director Dink Butler, along with his entire team, worked tirelessly to recover our county from the storms of last year. Their exceptional hard work ensured that Bulloch County recovered faster than most other counties, enabling roads to be safely passable for both public safety personnel and residents.
Their efforts have always been focused on the best interests of Bulloch County and its citizens, and they should be commended for their service and response during the back-to-back hurricanes last Fall and the extensive recovery afterward.
Throughout those challenging storm recovery efforts, and in their daily operations, the Bulloch County Public Works Department has consistently followed established county policy and will continue to do so. Bulloch County will continue to do what we have always done – serve this community to make it one of the best places to live in Georgia."
Clay Conner also issued a statement in response to the conclusion of the case. "As a small-town business owner, I work hard every single day for my family and for the community I love," Conner said. "To those who tried to push me down — thank you. You’ve only fueled my fire. I’ll keep showing up, working with integrity, and standing strong for the people who’ve always had my back."
The public scrutiny may have had a lasting effect on county business. At the August 19 commission meeting, it was revealed that staff sent out requests for bids for a new dump truck rental contract to nearly 300 potential vendors. The only complete bid received was from Sand Creek Land Construction, LLC.