Former Chief of Staff to Cobb Sheriff Indicted

A Cobb grand jury indicted the former chief of staff to Cobb Sheriff Craig Owens for a failed insurance fraud scheme.

Braxton Cotton, 41 at the time of his arrest on April 28, 2023, is accused of attempting to defraud insurance company USAA after he was allegedly involved in a crash with lobbyist DeAnna Harris, former chair of the Cobb Young Republicans, early on the morning of March 5.

He was indicted for attempting to commit insurance fraud, attempting to commit theft by deception, two counts of making a false statement, two counts of violation of oath by a public officer and one count of falsifying and concealing a material fact.

Cotton was booked into the Cobb County jail just before noon on April 28 and released less than an hour later on his recognizance.

In the warrant for Cotton’s arrest, the Cobb County Police Department accused him of lying to officers about being the victim of a hit-and-run. Instead, Cotton was actually involved in a collision with Harris, and that she was driving a Jeep Wrangler without insurance at the time, according to police.

His warrant says Cotton reported his white Chevrolet Corvette had been damaged in a hit-and-run at Macland and Lost Mountain roads around 8:45 p.m. on March 4.

However, Cobb police said license plate-reading technology showed Cotton’s car was undamaged hours after he said it was hit, and that he then admitted the crash occurred early in the morning on March 5.

Video footage and cell phone data confirmed Cotton’s car had been hit between midnight and 2 a.m. on March 5 and that it was not a hit-and-run, according to police.

Instead, Cotton knew the woman, identified as Harris, driving the Jeep Wrangler who hit him — they work “together on behalf of the same employer” — and he was in contact with her both before and after the crash, the warrant says.

The Jeep received insurance coverage the day after the collision, according to the warrant, and police allege in the warrant Cotton filed a fraudulent insurance claim with USAA.

The location of the Jeep listed in the police report matches Harris’ home address.

Harris, who has served as Owens’ lobbyist and last year helped him secure a $25,000 pay raise from the Georgia General Assembly, did not respond to the MDJ’s request for comment Monday.

In a statement at the time of Cotton’s arrest, Sheriff Craig Owens said the major had been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation.

“The investigation is unrelated to his duties at the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office,” the statement said. “Sheriff Owens will await the culmination of a fair trial before further commenting on the case.”

After Cotton was suspended, Owens replaced him with David Jones, a former executive at business consulting and services company Kroll.

At the time the appointment was announced, Nikki Glanton, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said Cotton had been reassigned to the Adult Detention Center Division and that the internal investigation into his alleged crimes was ongoing.

Spokesperson Randi Okray told the MDJ Cotton resigned from the sheriff's office on Friday, Feb. 16, the day after the grand jury handed down the indictment.