The Bulloch County man accused of committing financial wrongdoings in Bulloch and Toombs counties in addition to U.S. Bankruptcy Court has resolved his federal criminal case.
Carroll Belton “Tray” Baird III entered a guilty plea in federal court last month as part of a plea agreement negotiated earlier this summer.
Baird was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024 on a number of charges connected to his bankruptcy case in the Southern District of Georgia. Prosecutors contended that Baird embezzled money from the bankruptcy estate, concealed assets, and made false declarations. The charges meant Baird was facing up to 30 years in federal prison, if convicted. At the time of the federal indictment, Baird was facing felony charges in Bulloch and Toombs counties for financial fraud-related incidents as well. Read the full timeline here.
Baird has since resolved his Bulloch County case. Following the conclusion of that case, he negotiated a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, agreeing to plead guilty to one charge and waive certain rights in exchange for prosecution on the lesser charge.
In May of 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed an Information Indictment against Baird for one count of False Document, alleging that on December 16, 2019, Baird willingly and knowingly made and used a false writing document, knowing the document contained ‘a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement’ to the executive brand of the U.S. Government. Specifically, prosecutors contend that Baird moved assets into his wife’s name instead of forfeiting the assets to the bankruptcy trustee.
Baird submitted a “Monthly Operating Report for July 2019 in relation to a case under Title 11, to wit In re: Belle Creole, LLC, Southern District of Georgia Bankruptcy Case No. 19-60076, that falsely stated all monies received by Belle Creole, LLC were deposited into the debtor-in-possession accounts and no assets were transferred to anyone related to the debtor-in-possession, well knowing and believing that he failed to deposit certain monies into the debtor-in-possession account and that some assets were transferred to his spouse.”
The charge is a felony offense and carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Two months after the Information Indictment was filed by prosecutors, Baird signed a Waiver of Indictment, meaning he waived his rights in open court for the opportunity to proceed under an Information Indictment instead. Represented by his attorney, Troy Marsh, he then entered a guilty plea.
“Defendant agrees that he is, in fact, guilty of this offense,” the plea agreement reads as it details the actions taken back in 2019.
The plea agreement is signed by Tania Groover and John Harper III of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Baird, and Baird’s attorney, Troy Marsh. Judge J. Randal Hall accepted the plea agreement on July 15.
In accordance with federal court procedure, a pre-sentencing investigation will be conducted and a report will be produced for the Court. Baird will appear before Judge Hall once that process is complete and will be sentenced at that time.
