Franklin Nelson Edwards, a resident of Marion and former interim fire chief of Selma, has been arrested and charged with first-degree theft of property.
Edwards, who has served in various law enforcement capacities in Perry County and previously sought the Democratic nomination for Perry County Sheriff, was taken into custody on July 26.
According to court records, Edwards is accused of knowingly obtaining or exerting unauthorized control over approximately $4,400 belonging to the City of Selma. The charge, classified under Alabama Code 13A-8-3, involves property valued in excess of $2,500, elevating the offense to a first-degree theft.
Edwards was booked into the Dallas County Jail and later released on a $30,000 bond. The bond was set following his arrest on July 26 and the filing of charges on July 29.
The complaint against Edwards, filed by the State of Alabama, indicates that Edwards is alleged to have misappropriated city funds during his tenure as interim fire chief. Specific details regarding the nature of the alleged theft have not been disclosed beyond the amount involved.
Edwards also faces charges from a 2020 arrest for felony leaving the scene of an accident. The incident occurred on June 26, 2020, on Interstate 59/20 southbound at mile marker 102. Matthew Scott Sartin, a 22- year-old from Pineville, Louisiana, was killed in the crash.
Troopers later found a disabled and abandoned 2009 BMW 750 sedan about two miles south of the crash site. Investigators linked the vehicle to Edwards, who was then booked into the Jefferson County Jail and released on a $10,000 bond. Court records indicate that Edwards is scheduled for trial in March 2025 for the hit-and-run incident.
