In an act that breaches the code of the badge, a former Georgia officer was handcuffed for allegedly helping himself to police equipment before trying to make a quick buck. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) announced the arrest of Jerald Frank Rafferzeder, a 57-year-old ex-cop from Forsyth, Georgia, now facing charges of Theft by Taking and Violation of Oath of Office.
Details surrounding the heist surfaced after the Milner Police Department detected one of their LIDAR systems had gone missing on March 13, 2024, and decided to swiftly call in the big guns at the GBI to thoroughly investigate. The GBI's sleuths unraveled the mystery, pointing to Rafferzeder as the prime suspect believed to have secretly taken not just one, but two LIDAR systems from Milner Police Department, only to then turn around and sell them off cheap for $800.
Following the criminal accusations, Rafferzeder was promptly booked into the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office. As the GBI continues to duke it out with the darker corners of police corruption, they maintain that this case is far from closed and the search for the truth is active and ongoing. People with knowledge related to this case are urged to step forward and contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Milledgeville. The GBI's plea for cooperation can be answered at 478-445-4173.
Those preferring to anonymously drop a dime have several options to reach out, including a hotline at 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), a tip submitted online at the GBI's website, or by choosing to conveniently download and use the 'See Something, Send Something' mobile application. More details about the arrest and the investigation are publicly available on the GBI's official announcement.
