Georgia Mayor Suspended After Alleged Alcohol Delivery to Inmates

Thomson Mayor Benjamin Cary Cranford faces felony charges for allegedly placing a bottle of gin in a ditch for a prison work crew.

Mayor Benjamin Cary Cranford of Thomson, Georgia, was indicted and arrested for allegedly providing alcohol to inmates from Jefferson County Correctional Institution.
Governor Brian Kemp suspended Cranford after a review panel determined the charges impacted his ability to perform his mayoral duties.
Cranford allegedly bought Seagram's Extra Dry Gin and left it in a ditch along a state highway in Thomson for a prison work crew to find.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Cranford at Thomson City Hall following a city council meeting.
Cranford, who denies the charges, is free on $5,000 bail and will remain suspended without pay until the case is resolved or his term ends.