A sheriff’s deputy lost his job Thursday because he allegedly demanded sex from a woman, and suggested he could get charges against her dropped. William Miller, 38, faces one count of violation of oath by a public officer.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia got rid of him after an internal investigation, and a criminal probe. They first learned about allegations of inappropriate conduct last week, Deputy Marilynne Fitts told Law&Crime.
William had arrested a woman in July on a DUI charge and possession of meth, Fitts said. But the woman, Ashlie Roberts, came forward to say that Miller later offered to help her out with the charges in exchange for sexual favors.
Roberts spoke with Fox 5 on the record in a Tuesday report. She provided audio in which a man offered to help drop charges against her in return for sex. Roberts identified this man as Miller. In the audio, he half-heartedly walks back his demands as just a joke.
Man identified as Miller: Not even a blowjob?Roberts: No.Miller: I’m just messing with you. I think you’d like it but–Roberts: No, I’m good.Miller: You probably would like it.Roberts: I don’t know about that.
In the audio, the man identified as Miller asks Roberts for names of drug dealers, and also asks her to lift up her shirt. The outlet said she turned him down at least ten times.
Elsewhere in the audio, the man identified as Miller says he can talk to the district attorney’s office to get rid of Roberts’ charges.
“Well, I know that’s how you can get rid of them,” Roberts says. “But me on the other hand…”
“That’s up to you,” says Miller.
The man also says he gave her a beer as “leverage,” and mentions there is another unit nearby.
“So what are you trying to do?” says Roberts. “You trying to blackmail me or something?”
“Yeah,” said Miller, but then he walks it back, and says he was just “messing” with her.
Roberts was already on probation during her July arrest, and a judge had her locked up on account of the new charges.
“I did the crime,” she told Fox 5. “I’ll do the time. Yes, I was pulled over for DUI and possession. Yes, I’ll take that charge. I’m not doing nothing to jeopardize myself.”
The MCSO immediately put Miller on administrative leave on Friday, and they fired him on Thursday, Fitts said. Sheriff’s deputies reached out to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Federal Bureau of Investigation to participate in the investigation.
It was the GBI that took out the criminal charge against Miller. A news release states their investigation is ongoing. They said the defendant had been with law enforcement since 2014, and joined the MCSO in April 2018.
The defendant bonded out of jail. If convicted, he could spend at least one year and up to five behind bars. He could not be reached for comment about his arrest, but Fox 5 found him last Friday, when he still had a job. He denied ever offering to get charges dropped in return for sex acts. Asked if he wanted to hear the record, he just drove away.
[Screengrab of Miller via Fox 5]