May 22, 2013
ALBANY, Ga. (AP) -- Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has signed an executive order removing Dougherty County School Board member Velvet Riggins from office.
Deal signed the order Thursday.
Authorities say Riggins was indicted in April on four felony charges -- two counts of theft by taking, one count of public record fraud and one count of providing false information to obtain free school meals for a child.
Riggins' attorney, Mark Brimberry, could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.
The governor's office said in a news release that Deal ordered that Riggins be suspended as a board member "pending the disposition of the charges against her or the end of her term, whichever comes first."
