Theft/Property — Hinesville, GA — reported 2026-07-15

SUMMARY

Two individuals were indicted on federal fraud charges for a scheme that allegedly cost a public housing agency over $2.5 million.

KEY FACTS

  • Incident type: Theft/Property
  • Location: Hinesville, GA
  • Date reported: 2026-07-15
  • Suspect: female, age 55
  • Status: indicted

REPORTED DETAILS

  • {'Melanie S. Thompson, 55, of Savannah, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 19 counts of wire fraud, and two counts of making false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims.': ''}
  • {'Toriono L. Byrd, 52, of Savannah, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud': ''}
  • {'The scheme began as early as September 2019 and continued through October 2023 while Thompson served as executive director of the Hinesville Housing Authority': ''}
  • {'Thompson allegedly created or approved false invoices directing payments to Byrd’s private business for work that was either never completed or billed at amounts far above its actual value': ''}
  • {'Prosecutors say the scheme resulted in losses exceeding $2.5 million to the housing authority': ''}