A month after she was hired, the newest lawyer on the Sandy Springs solicitor’s staff has been fired.

Jeannine Malone was hired by the Riley McClendon Law Firm on December 3, 2012, to act as assistant solicitor for the town of Sandy Springs. Riley McClendon represents both Sandy Springs and John’s Creek. Her appointment caught Lance Dyer of Breman by surprise.

“Well, the problem in my mind is that Ms. Malone is the wife of Thomas Malone, Jr., who is a self-admitted drug trafficker,” Dyer said.

In fact, Thomas Malone, Jr., will be sentenced later this month after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Lafayette, Louisiana. Under the agreement, Malone, along with Drew Green of Roswell, pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking in the sale of a synthetic pot product called “Mr. Miyagi.”

Dyer’s 14-year old son, Dakota, committed suicide died last year after ingesting Mr. Miyagi.

Attorney William Riley, who hired Ms. Malone, did not return calls from WSB Radio News. He was quoted elsewhere as saying he was unaware of her husband’s background until she told him about it earlier this week.

Dyer said he brought Malone’s background up to a Sandy Springs Police officer who ran the matter up his chain of command to the chief, city manager and mayor. By Wednesday, Jeannine Malone had been fired, he said.

In a statement to Channel 2 Action News, Jeannine Malone said, “I resigned my professional relationship with the City of Sandy Springs so that the City would not be part of any discussion about my husband's legal issues."

Ms. Malone is not facing any criminal charges related to her husband's operation.