A volunteer firefighter in Towns County finds himself in hot water as he faces charges relating to fraud and forgery. Jerry Wayne Canterbury, age 55, from Hiawassee, was arrested on Monday, March 17 by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) on two counts of Misdemeanor False Statements or Falsified Records and one count of Felony Computer Forgery, as reported by the FOX 5 Atlanta.

The GBI initiated an investigation into Canterbury's activities back in December 2024, following allegations of theft. It was during this investigation that evidence surfaced of Canterburys alleged engagement in falsifying documents related to the Firefighter Pension Fund and committing computer forgery. The embattled firefighter was subsequently booked into the Towns County Sheriff’s Office, and the investigation is pending its closure.

Notably, this incident marks the second arrest of a Towns County firefighter in as many days. According to Now Habersham, Scott Kerlin, another volunteer firefighter, faced misdemeanor obstruction charges on Tuesday, March 18 for his role in sharing crime scene photos of a case involving the tragic deaths of two twins.

As investigations continue, law enforcement is calling on the public for assistance. They ask that anyone with information pertinent to Canterbury's case to reach out to the GBI Tipline at 800-597-8477 or to submit tips online. Canterbury's case, once concluded, is expected to be turned over to the Enotah Circuit District Attorney’s Office for potential prosecution.