Alabama Rep. Will Dismukes is being arrested on theft charges after his former employer accused him of stealing, the Montgomery County district attorney announced Friday.
Montgomery District Attorney Daryl Bailey announced in a press conference that a warrant on first-degree theft charges has been issued for Dismukes. He said Dismukes was given until late afternoon to turn himself in. Dismukes is a Republican legislator from Prattville.
The charges stem from an alleged theft at Weiss Flooring where Dismukes was previously employed. Bailey said the business made a complaint on May 20 “regarding an alleged theft of a large sum of money” involving the period from 2016 to 2018. First-degree theft is a Class B felony that involves the theft of more than $2,500 in property.
“I will tell you the alleged amount is a lot more than that,” Bailey said.
The district attorney said he was limited in what he could say about the case.
Dismukes did not immediately return a text message seeking comment. He told WSFA-TV that he is innocent.
If convicted of a felony, Dismukes would automatically be removed from office.
The Prattville lawmaker has recently faced sharp criticism, including a call to resign, for participating in a celebration marking the birthday of a Confederate general who was also an early Ku Klux Klan leader.
Dismukes attended a gathering to remember Nathan Bedford Forrest and posted a photo from the event on his Facebook page. The photo showed Dismukes speaking in front of several Confederate flags.
“Had a great time at Fort Dixie speaking and giving the invocation for Nathan Bedford Forrest annual birthday celebration. Always a great time and some sure enough good eating!!” the Republican state House member wrote in a post that is no longer visible on his public page.
The post came on the same day that the state was honoring the late John Lewis, an Alabama native who served for decades in Congress and had a long record of fighting for civil rights. Lewis died July 17 at the age of 80.
Dismukes, who is chaplain of a chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, later posted that it was not his intent to disrespect Lewis or glorify the Klan.
Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
