The AJC.com is reporting that investigators seized three computer hard drives and other items from DeKalb schools Superintendent Crawford Lewis’ home Thursday as part of a criminal investigation into multimillion-dollar school construction projects.
Investigators from the district attorney’s office have been searching Lewis’ Stone Mountain home and three school offices since 7:30 a.m.
Around 12:30 p.m., officers loaded the hard drives and four boxes into their cars parked outside Lewis’ home in the Southland subdivision. They then closed Lewis’ garage and returned to the search.
Investigators also showed up at the DeKalb school headquarters on North Decatur Road with a second search warrant.
Investigators are also searching the two school board buildings on North Decatur Road and the Sam Moss Service Center on Montreal Road in Tucker, said Orzy Theus, a spokesman for the district attorney.
“This is all part of an ongoing investigation which was started at the request of the school system’s administration. After reviewing the information we gathered today, we anticipate bringing this matter to an appropriate conclusion,” District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming said in a statement.
It’s unclear what searchers were looking and Fleming declined to comment further.
“We haven’t been able to get our hands on the search warrant,” DeKalb school board chairman Tom Bowen told the AJC. “Our assumption is they are looking for documents with the ongoing Pat Pope investigation.”
School district spokesman Dale Davis said school officials are cooperating with the investigation.
“It is important for our community and parents to know that teaching and learning have not been interrupted. Our students are in the classrooms and teachers are teaching,” Davis said in a statement.
In October, the district attorney’s office seized thousands of documents while searching the office and home of Patricia “Pat” Pope, the county’s former chief operating officer. They also searched the homes and offices of Pope’s husband, architect Anthony “Tony” Pope, and his friend, construction company owner David Moody.
Authorities are investigating whether Pope broke the law by allegedly steering contracts to her husband and construction companies where she has connections. A lawyer for Pope has denied the allegations.
On Thursday morning, board member Eugene Walker said he learned about the search from the media.
Walker said she has been waiting for years for action to be taken against the school district’s leadership.
“Nothing surprises me with DeKalb County,” she added.
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