Ex-DeKalb Worker Dameco Moss Admits Pocketing Cash For Permits

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- A former DeKalb County employee is in jail after admitting he pocketed cash from a permitting scheme that could have a major environmental impact.

District Attoey Robert James told investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer that he's now investigating whether other employees were doing the same thing.

"What I can tell you is that we have our suspicions," he said.

James said he wants to know just how deep the cash-for-permits scheme in DeKalb County's watershed department was running, after 11-year employee Dameco Moss pleaded guilty to theft.

"Obviously we're conceed when people are stealing money, but the overall conce here is the health and safety of our environment," said James.

Moss admitted pocketing cash from several local restaurants in exchange for permits, which regulate the disposal of fats oil and grease.

"We have some tough ordinances to minimize the impact of fats oils and grease getting into the pipes because once the sewer pipes clog up it spills somewhere, it's an environmental hazard," said county spokesperson Burke Brennan.

Prosecutors believe Moss took the money in exchange for skipping the inspections at those businesses. He's now serving six months in jail.

"The public needs to have faith in county govement and the people who work for county govement," said Brennan.

The watershed department leaed of the scheme when one of the business owners came forward. After an inteal investigation, Moss was fired along with Sherod Williams and Roderick Stallworth. They're accused of doing the same thing.

"Right now what we have is essentially an investigation based on things we've leaed during the course of this case and other things we have in our possession," said James.

Prosecutors want to know how many businesses may have gone without inspections and for how long, since Moss and Williams had each been on the job for more than a decade.