2 more Cherokee deputies accused of misusing license plate reader database

Bryant, 45, and Creeden, 35, have also been fired from the sheriff’s office, Baker confirmed.

“Our community expects and demands the highest level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability from the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office. Maintaining the public’s trust requires that our employees uphold the law, safeguard sensitive information, and use the tools entrusted to us only for legitimate law enforcement purposes,” Sheriff Frank Reynolds said in a written statement.

According to records from the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, Bryant and Creeden began working for the Cherokee sheriff’s office in 2004 and 2013, respectively. Neither have worked at other Georgia agencies.

Earlier this month, Cynthia Jodesty was fired from the agency and accused of entering the license tag information of another sheriff’s office employee into the agency’s automated license plate reader database while not performing a legitimate law enforcement function, the agency previously said. She was arrested June 12 and was serving as a deputy with the sheriff’s office at the time.

Jodesty was charged with the same felony and misdemeanor charges Bryant and Creeden are now facing.

The arrests come after a series of audits of the agency’s database revealed “anomalies” tied to three authorized users, Baker said. An investigation determined the three employees had violated agency policy and state law, according to Baker.

License plate readers are typically mounted on poles, streetlights and overpasses. The data collected is frequently used to track wanted suspects or stolen vehicles. State law restricts what can be done with information collected from the cameras and how long that data can be stored if it isn’t being used for “law enforcement purposes.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is working to learn more details about what led to the charges against Bryant and Creeden.

— This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.