By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A former mayor of Oakman — who also serves as a Walker County sheriff’s deputy — has been indicted on two misdemeanor charges of use of office for personal gain, according to court records released Monday.
Cory Kwan Franks, 40, was charged by a Walker County grand jury following an investigation by the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. Franks served as mayor of the small Walker County town until he lost his re-election bid in August.
The indictment, issued Nov. 13, alleges that Franks misused town resources for personal benefit during his time in office. According to prosecutors, Franks allowed his daughter to access and use a 2012 BMW 528i owned by the town of Oakman. In a separate allegation, he is accused of obtaining all or part of a $1,748.59 check that was drawn from the town’s account.
Franks was booked into the Walker County Jail on Monday and later released on his own recognizance. Attempts to reach him for comment were not immediately successful.
The Attorney General’s Office has not yet released additional details about the scope of the investigation or whether further charges could follow.
News of the indictment has stirred discussion in Oakman, a tight-knit community where Franks previously held influence both as mayor and as a deputy with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office.
Franks’ employment status with the sheriff’s office has not been publicly clarified in light of the charges.
As the case moves through the court system, town residents and former supporters are waiting to see how the allegations — and Franks’ dual public roles — will impact local government and law enforcement leadership in Walker County.