LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. – Lumpkin County authorities and Kinetic Windstream say a third-party internet salesman has been terminated following reports of aggressive behavior toward residents.

Sheriff Stacy Jarrard confirmed that his office received multiple calls about the individual, who had been going door-to-door selling internet services in local neighborhoods. After investigating, the sheriff determined the man was not a direct employee of Kinetic, but a contractor working for a third-party company on the provider’s behalf.

“This situation was brought to my attention, so I contacted Kinetic to investigate if this was an employee or a scam,” Jarrard said in a statement. “Once Kinetic confirmed that it was a third-party employee, it was determined this was not a criminal act, so we blacked out the tag of the individual’s vehicle. Kinetic then reached out to the homeowners and did their investigation and they decided to terminate his engagement with their company.”

Windstream Kinetic also issued a statement through Georgia Operations Director Blake Fields, stressing that the behavior described by residents was not tolerated.

“We’re grateful this was reported, and we apologize for what occurred,” Fields said. “The behavior reported by community residents of this individual is unacceptable and violates Kinetic’s standards. This individual is an employee of a third-party contractor. We notified his employer earlier today, September 3, 2025, and terminated his engagement with us. He is no longer authorized to work on behalf of our company. We are cooperating fully with local law enforcement.”

Jarrard emphasized that the matter did not rise to the level of a criminal offense but assured residents that his office worked with the company to resolve the situation.