Plea Agreement Submitted and Approved in Case of Former Forsyth Utility Clerk

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 12:00 AM

By Scott McCaulley @smcckc

An incident six years ago that triggered an audit and several years of litigation appears to be close a resolution.

In Circuit Court Monday before Judge Jeffery Merrell, former Forsyth Utility Clerk Carla D Combs entered an Alford Guilty Plea, meaning that while not admitting guilt outright, she does understand the state has the evidence to convict her.

This is the second time this plea has been entered. Originally, Combs made a plea in this case in November of 2023 however it was rejected by Judge Merrell early the next year. In court documents filed by the defense to try and get a change of judge, they said Merrell had stated he did not feel the defendant was not taking enough responsibility for her crime. This time, the judge has accepted the plea with sentencing scheduled in Judge Merrell's Court next week.

Combs was accused of he theft off $2000 of Utility Deposits from the city in 2019 after a 2021 Audit by then State Auditor Nicole Galloway uncovered the missing funds.

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