SHIELDS OF SHAME | GEORGIA FLOCK ABUSE DATABASE | CASE 005
Bentley Hughes Flock Misuse: Former Colquitt County Deputy Faces Four Charges
Two license-plate reader misuse counts. Two oath-of-office counts. A September tip that triggered a state investigation. What investigators have not disclosed is just as important: who was allegedly searched, how often, and whether routine auditing caught anything before someone reported it.
Name: Bentley Elizabeth Hughes
Age at arrest: 37
Agencies: Former Doerun Police Department employee; former Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office deputy
System involved: Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office Flock Safety
GBI referral: September 8, 2026
Arrest: September 14, 2026; booked into Colquitt County Jail
Charges: Two counts of misuse of a license plate reader system and two counts of violation of oath of office
Final disposition: No conviction or final court outcome verified.
Bentley Hughes Flock misuse allegations: what the GBI says
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced on September 14, 2026, that former Colquitt County deputy Bentley Hughes had been arrested following an investigation into alleged personal use of the sheriff’s office Flock Safety license-plate reader system. The agency described preliminary information indicating that Hughes accessed the system for purposes unrelated to law enforcement. The GBI did not identify the vehicles, search dates, search count, or alleged motive.
WALB reported that the sheriff’s office asked state investigators to examine a tip about suspected misuse. A tip may prompt an investigation, but the reporting does not establish whether an internal audit also detected the activity or whether supervisors had previously noticed irregularities. Those distinctions matter when evaluating the agency’s controls.
Doerun versus Colquitt County: identifying the correct agency
Hughes previously worked for the Doerun Police Department and reportedly resigned voluntarily in April 2025, according to the supplied case background. Her POST profile was described as identifying Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office employment at the time it was generated. The GBI, however, specifically identifies the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office system as the source of the alleged misuse. This is not an allegation that Hughes misused Doerun Police Department’s Flock account.
Timeline of the Bentley Hughes investigation
- April 2025: Supplied case notes describe Hughes’s voluntary resignation from Doerun Police Department; personnel records should confirm the date and reason.
- September 8, 2026: Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office requests a GBI investigation into alleged employee misuse of its Flock system.
- September 14, 2026: GBI announces four charges. Hughes surrenders and is booked at Colquitt County Jail.
- Following investigation: GBI states its completed file will be sent to the Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Four criminal charges do not establish the number of searches
Hughes faces two counts of license-plate reader misuse and two counts of violating her oath of office. Those are counts in a criminal case, not a confirmed total of database queries. A single investigation may involve multiple searches, sessions, or alleged acts; the public needs the charging instruments and audit records to determine exactly what the counts cover.
Was misuse detected by auditing or by a complaint?
The sheriff’s office referred the case to GBI after receiving information about alleged misuse. But the public announcement does not explain how that information was discovered, whether Flock’s audit trail was checked routinely, or whether any prior warning went unaddressed. Without the original query logs and investigative referral, it would be premature to assert that the system lacked oversight—or that oversight worked.
License-plate readers can capture the location and time of vehicle sightings. Legitimate investigations may rely on that data, but access for personal reasons can expose ordinary people’s movements. A complete accountability review should establish who had access, what justification was entered for searches, and who reviewed those entries.
Georgia POST certification record
The supplied POST certification PDF is available below. Its historical employment entries and administrative status should be distinguished from any later criminal or disciplinary outcome. A fresh POST record is needed to establish whether certifications or investigations have changed since the original document was generated.
Original images and documents
Primary sources and related reporting
Records Shields of Shame is seeking
- All relevant Colquitt County Flock query logs and search justifications
- The September 8 GBI referral and underlying complaint or tip, with appropriate privacy redactions
- User-account permissions and supervisor review history
- Employment separation documents from Doerun and Colquitt County
- Updated POST certification and investigative status
- Arrest warrants, formal charging documents, docket entries and case disposition
Frequently asked questions
What is Bentley Hughes accused of?
Using Colquitt County’s Flock license-plate reader system for non-law-enforcement purposes, resulting in two misuse counts and two oath-of-office counts.
Was the alleged misuse at Doerun Police Department?
No. The GBI identified the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office Flock system. Doerun is a prior employment affiliation.
How many license plates did Hughes allegedly search?
The GBI announcement does not provide a search count or identify vehicles.
Has Hughes been convicted?
No conviction or final disposition was verified in the sources reviewed. Hughes is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.