NASHVILLE — The mayor of this Berrien County town was arrested Friday on theft charges, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Mayor Taylor Scarbrough turned himself in to the Berrien County Jail without incident, the GBI said in a statement. He is charged with theft by conversion and theft of services, the statement said.

On Aug. 20,  the GBI’s Douglas Regional Office received a request from the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office to conduct an investigation regarding the allegation of property damage by a public official. 

On Aug. 17, deputies were dispatched to Scarbrough’s home; a man claimed the mayor had taken and used his excavator without permission and had caused significant damage to the machinery, the GBI statement said. 

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.