Former WTVM employee arrested and charged with theft by deception by Columbus police

Kelby Hutchison
·1 min read

A former WTVM employee has been arrested for theft by deception, a felony, according to Columbus police.

Police said WTVM reported fraudulent activities in October 2023 by a former marketing and advertising representative, Kimberly Johnson.

An investigation uncovered several false advertisements created by Johnson for businesses in the area, according to police.

Police said Johnson received commission from each of the false advertisements.

Based on the deceptive advertisements, WTVM spent additional funds on third-party platforms such as Facebook, Google and others, according to police.

Police said WTVM incurred a loss of $29,295.78 due to the fraudulent activities.

Johnson turned herself into police and was transported to the Muscogee County Jail, according to the release.

She is scheduled to appear in Columbus Recorder’s Court on Tuesday at 9 a.m.