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On Tuesday, 5-21-2024, Heather Nicole Beamon, a former Sumter County Code Enforcement Officer, turned herself in at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and was charged with 16 felony counts of “Theft By Conversion.” During Ms. Beamon’s role as a Code Enforcement Officer, she received payments for building permits and business licenses. Ms. Beamon is being charged for allocating some of the cash funds she received to herself.

The Sheriff’s Office received this complaint on April 25, 2024, and it was immediately assigned to the Sheriff’s Investigative Division. Within days, the investigation into this matter yielded a confession by Ms. Beamon in reference to one of the sixteen counts mentioned above. Over the following weeks, as the investigation continued, fifteen additional instances were revealed where cash was received and not deposited or accounted for.

The investigation revealed there are likely more instances other than the sixteen counts Ms. Beamon is being charged for. However, due to the lack of and missing copies of receipts, the full scope of this endeavor can not be determined. If anyone has any further information whatsoever, in reference to any cash they have paid for permits and or licenses, please contact the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Division at 229-924-4094.

Sheriff Eric D. Bryant would like to remind the citizens of Sumter County that he takes all crimes seriously and that he and his staff will continue to perform their sworn duties with full impartiality.