Gwinnett Daily Post

Holly Williamson-Buxton

LAWRENCEVILLE -- A former employee of a Lawrenceville law firm is accused of forging nearly 100 checks and paying herself more than $100,000.

Holly Suzanne Buxton-Williamson, 50, of Conyers was arrested Friday and charged with five counts of first-degree forgery. Gwinnett County jail records show she was released the same day on $56,000 bond.

According to an incident report filed by the Lawrenceville Police Department, Buxton-Williamson was an employee of the law offices of Russell Bryant when -- from February 2011 until earlier this month -- she wrote at least 96 checks to herself by forging Bryant's name.

Bryant told police that Buxton-Williamson had written forged checks totalling more than $105,000 out of his "main account" rather than his payroll account, then had gone "back in the computer and changed the ... account to fix it so she would not get caught."

Buxton-Williamson reportedly confessed to the crime and told her employers she would pay the money back.

At the time of her arrest, Bryant said Buxton-Williamson was a former employee. Her booking sheet listed her current employer as another law firm in Atlanta.

If convicted, first-degree forgery offenses carry a penalty of one to 15 years in prison.