Atlanta agrees to pay $1.5M to wrongfully accused man but keeps investigator who put him in jail on police force

An exterior photo of the Fulton County Jail. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Keith Sylvester, who was wrongfully accused of arson and two murders, spent 15 months behind bars at the Fulton County Jail before the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office conducted an independent investigation and later dropped his charges. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

A man who the Atlanta Police Department wrongfully accused of arson and two murders will get a $1.5 million payout but no apology, his lawyer said.

The Atlanta City Council approved the settlement in a final round of voting on Monday.

Keith Sylvester, who maintained his innocence since his arrest in 2018, spent 15 months behind bars before the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office conducted an independent investigation and later dropped his charges.