The mayor of a small town in Georgia, Benjamin 'Benji' Cary Cranford, 52, is facing felony charges for allegedly furnishing prohibited items to inmates. The charges stem from an incident where Cranford is accused of leaving a bottle of Seagram's Extra Dry Gin in a ditch for a state prison work crew to access.
The indictment, issued in McDuffie County Superior Court, alleges that Cranford purchased the bottle of gin on June 3 and placed it along Cobbham Road in Thomson, Georgia. The Thomson Police requested the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) to look into the matter on June 6, leading to Cranford's arrest.
GBI agents took Cranford into custody at Thomson City Hall following a city council meeting. He was booked into the McDuffie County Jail and later released on $5,000 bail. The city spokesperson, Jason Smith, stated that the charges do not appear to be related to Cranford's duties as an elected official.
If a panel recommends to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp that the charges could impede Cranford's ability to serve as mayor, he may face suspension from office until the case is resolved. Cranford assumed office earlier this year after winning the election against the incumbent.
Prior to this incident, Cranford, a former paving contractor, settled a lawsuit accusing him of concealing assets from a bonding company. The lawsuit was filed before his mayoral campaign and involved financial issues related to his company's debts.
