HCSO: 18-month investigation ends with arrest of Cumming man

A 46-year-old Cumming man is free on bond following his arrest Tuesday by Hall County sheriff’s detectives on charges of felony computer forgery, felony identity theft/fraud and misdemeanor stalking under the Family Violence Act (FVA).

“During an investigation that lasted almost a year-and-a-half, Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) criminal investigators determined Mr. Powell had engaged in ongoing efforts to harm the reputation of an adult female victim,” HCSO spokeswoman B.J. Williams wrote in an email Thursday. “According to arrest warrants, in addition to using various devices to track the whereabouts and activities of the victim, Mr. Powell also created a social media account using the victim’s identity and created incriminating posts in an attempt to defame the victim.”

Williams said detectives applied for arrest warrants February 12 after forensic processing was completed on various electronic devices traced to Powell.

He posted a bond of $8,300 and was released from the Hall County Jail on Wednesday.