More Troubles Surface for Lumpkin Coroner Candidate Amanda Jones-Holbrooks

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — Amanda Jones-Holbrooks, a.k.a. Amanda Jones, campaign for Lumpkin County Coroner suffered a major blow Thursday when she was arrested for first-degree forgery.

This is Jones-Holbrooks third brush with the law. The 33-year-old Dahlonega Funeral Home employee was arrested in 2000 for obstructing a peace officer and in 2007 for passing bad checks.

This latest arrest, however, could land her behind bars for up to 10 years if convicted.
She is charged with forging her ex-husband Ricky Edmondson’s signature on a quitclaim deed that transfers land he owns to her. Edmonson said he did not sign the quitclaim deed.

The signing of the document was supposedly witnessed by notary Jonathan Fitzpatrick. But Fitzpatrick is also a colleague of Jones-Holbrooks at the funeral home and a former deputy with the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office.

Lumpkin County Sheriff Stacy Jarrard said Friday that he fired Fitzpatrick after Fitzpatrick told him he did not actually witness Edmondson’s signature on the quitclaim deed.

“He was a good officer and I hated to do it but I had no choice,” Jarrard said.

Jones-Holbrooks has declined to comment and calls to her attorney went unanswered.

In addition to the criminal charges, Jones-Holbrooks also faces a civil lawsuit involving alleged misuse of her mother’s social security checks. Her mother Terri Ann Jones, resides at the Gold City Convalescent Home in Dahlonega and Jones-Holbrooks has power of attorney.

The arrest is another black eye for the Lumpkin County Coroner’s Office. The current coroner, Ronald Fortner, is under indictment for theft by deception and violation of his oath of office. He has denied the allegations.

With early voting set to begin next week Jones-Holbrooks campaign is in deep trouble. She faces popular veteran law enforcement officer Jim Sheppard in the runoff.