Effective March 13, 2020, the Georgia Department of Revenue Office of Special Investigations Director, Josh Waites, was terminated after the State Inspector General found he did not have a two-year degree in criminal justice from the University of Northwest Florida. Through the investigation, it was discovered that Waites provided false information on an employment application submitted when Waites was promoted to Director of the Office of Special Investigations.

Inspector General Deborah Wallace stated, “Misrepresenting educational history on an official document is a serious matter and it is especially concerning when an employee’s credibility is paramount to his participation in criminal investigations and prosecutions of tax matters.”

Providing false information on an official state document is a crime and the matter has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office for possible prosecution. OIG Investigator Richard Schneider and General Counsel Bethany Whetzel investigated the matter.