A lieutenant with the Guyton Police Department who was arrested last fall has been indicted by a grand jury in Effingham County.
Joseph Michael Coppola was arrested in November of last year by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office on one felony county of False Statements or Writings in Matters of Government. He was booked into the Effingham County Jail and released on bond. In accordance with the city’s personnel policy, Coppola was placed on paid administrative leave but was terminated not long after.
Last week, a grand jury returned a True Bill of Indictment for Coppola on one count of Perjury, an offense that varies slightly from False Statements. Namely, Perjury is committed under oath and subsequently carries a maximum sentence that is twice as long as False Statements.
According to the indictment, Coppola ‘knowingly and willingly’ made a false statement material to an issue in question in Effingham County Magistrate Court. The indictment asserts that Coppola swore under oath that a debt belonged to his deceased father. The statement was purportedly made in an Answer to a Complaint filed in Magistrate Court.
Under Georgia law, Perjury is defined as an act committed by a person to whom a lawful oath has been administered and, in a judicial proceeding by knowingly and willingly making a false statement material to the issue in question. The offense is a felony that carries a fine of up to $1,000 and a prison sentence of one to ten years.
A perjury conviction would be particularly problematic for Coppola’s law enforcement career as it would make it nearly impossible to prosecute any case in which he is the arresting officer.
Prior Issues
Coppola, who was hired by former Chief Stacy Strickland and has worked for the Guyton Police Department since 2017, is no stranger to headlines or controversy. He previously worked for the City of Rincon and resigned after being told that the disciplinary actions taken against him were set to be taken before city council.
He twice served as Guyton’s interim police chief – the first time being after the abrupt departure of nearly everyone at Guyton PD. Coppola was then demoted under a previous administration for a host of indiscretions, which included insubordination, inexplicable missing documents, and an inability to recruit additional officers among other things.
Coppola returned to the position of chief after former chief James Breletic departed after the ousting of three incumbents in the 2023 election. He continued to work in that capacity until council hired a new chief.
State of the Guyton Police Department
The Guyton Police Department has made great strides since the departure of Breletic and the appointment of Chief Kelphie Lundy. Lundy, who was brought on by the new administration in 2024, has worked to restore public trust, hire new officers, and build bridges with the community over the last year. Aside from Coppola’s arrest, the police department has largely remained out of the headlines.
Mayor Andy Harville issued a statement on Coppola’s arrest in November, but stopped short of commenting on anything other than the status of his employment and that the city was relying on ECSO to conduct its investigation.
