Laura Fanelli released from Georgia jail following first court appearance as county confirms cooperation with law enforcement
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Beaufort County Communications Manager Laura Fanelli has been released from a Georgia jail after making her first court appearance on felony charges, according to court records and Newton County jail officials.
Fanelli was arrested June 22 by the Beaufort Police Department on a fugitive from justice warrant issued from Georgia. According to Beaufort County Detention Center records, she remained in custody in Beaufort until June 27, when she was transferred to Newton County, Georgia.
Newton County jail officials confirmed to The Island News that Fanelli was released from the Newton County Detention Center on July 2. As of publication, she was no longer listed as an inmate in the jail’s online inmate database.
Court records filed in Newton County Superior Court show the State of Georgia has charged Fanelli with one count of felony theft by deception and one count of computer theft stemming from an alleged April 1, 2026, incident. The felony warrants were received by the Superior Court on June 29. The case remains pending and has not yet been presented to a grand jury.
In response to questions from The Island News, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Director of Public Information Renée Wunderlich confirmed SLED assisted the Covington Police Department in locating Fanelli in Beaufort County on June 22.
“SLED assisted the Covington Police Department in Georgia locate Ms. Laura Fanelli on Monday, June 22, 2026, in Beaufort County,” Wunderlich said in an email.
Wunderlich referred additional questions regarding the investigation to the Covington Police Department.
Additional court records obtained by The Island News show Fanelli made her first appearance in Newton County Magistrate Court on June 29. During that appearance, Fanelli invoked her right to counsel. The magistrate’s order states that no further proceedings will take place until counsel is present, except for scheduling and housekeeping matters. The order identifies Sam Burdette as Fanelli’s retained attorney and schedules a future committal hearing.
The court order does not indicate whether bond was granted or denied, and no bond amount is listed on the form. However, Newton County jail officials confirmed Fanelli was released from custody on July 2.
Beaufort County Public Information Officer Hannah Nichols said Beaufort County Administration made the decision to place Fanelli on administrative leave without pay on June 22 pending the results of an investigation.
“We have complied with all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation and will continue to do so,” Nichols said in a statement to The Island News. “We trust the judicial process to take its course, but are unable to comment further. Beaufort County remains committed to serving the people of our community with the highest level of service possible.”
Fanelli joined Beaufort County in 2018 after previously serving as communications manager for Newton County, Georgia. According to Beaufort County, her duties include creating, writing and publishing information for the public and news media, promoting county services and programs, and assisting with crisis communications under the direction of the county’s public information officer.
In late 2020, Fanelli was placed on paid administrative leave after thousands of posts from a social media account attributed to her resurfaced publicly. The posts, many of which predated her employment with Beaufort County, included profanity and commentary on politics, race, religion and the COVID-19 pandemic, prompting public criticism and an internal investigation.
County officials ultimately concluded the posts did not violate county policy because they were made before Fanelli’s employment with Beaufort County. She returned to work following the investigation and remained the county’s communications manager.
The Island News has submitted requests for the arrest warrant affidavits, investigative records and additional court documents related to the Georgia case. Follow-up requests for comment have also been submitted to the Beaufort Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Covington Police Department, the Newton County Sheriff’s Office and the Newton County District Attorney’s Office. As of publication, those agencies had not responded.
The publicly available court records identify the charges against Fanelli but do not describe the allegations supporting them. The Island News will continue to update this story as additional information becomes available.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.