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Ethics complaints against
county solicitor reviewed
By Todd Truelove
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County Board
of Ethics met last Wednesday
to review two complaints
containing a total of 14 charges
filed against County
Solicitor Leslie Abernathy by
David Milum, a local activist
and community watchdog, and
George Anderson, a govern
mental watchdog based in
Rome.
Documents reviewed by the
board listed the multiple allega
tions about Abernathy
including that she kept a “Knife
List” file of individuals whom
she has a personal vendetta
against, to using her influence
to sway the county government
to grant rezoning requests.
The ethics board unani
mously dismissed all but one of
14 complaints due to insuffi
cient evidence.
The one that was not dis
missed centers around a claim
Wendy’s robbed,
suspect still wanted
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
Local detectives are inves
tigating a Feb. 8 armed rob
bery at a Wendy’s restaurant in
south Forsyth County.
According to the Forsyth
County Sheriff’s Office, wit
nesses reported a man wearing
a black ski mask and carrying
a revolver entered the restau
rant at 1520 McFarland Road
shortly after 10 p.m.
The restaurant manager
told deputies the man jumped
over the counter and pointed
the gun at him. The man
grabbed cash from the register,
then instructed the manager to
open a safe located in an
office.
Incident re
Editor’s note: The follow
ing items are taken from
reports on file with the
Forsyth County Sheriff's
Office.
DUI : A sheriff’s deputy
pulled over a motorist near a
Hammond’s Crossing gas sta
tion shortly before 2 a.m. on
Feb. 12 because she left the
parking lot with the gas hose
still attached to her 1996
Oldsmobile Bravado. Kathy
Jo Stewart, 35, of Cumming
was arrested for DUI and
having no proof of insurance.
Her blood alcohol level was
1.72 more than twice
Georgia’s legal limit of 0.8,
states the sheriff’s report.
Burglary: The Sheriff’s
Office is searching for two
white males in connection
with a break-in at the Radio
Shack store at 3630 Peachtree
Pkwy. Deputies responded to
an alarm at 2:48 a.m. Friday.
Three portable DVD players,
a DVD recorder, and a home
theater system, valued at a
total of $1,390, were taken in
the burglary, which was cap
tured on a security video. A
clerk at a nearby convenience
store reported that two cus
tomers meeting the descrip
tion of the pair had been in
the store around the time of
the break-in. The pair report
edly shattered a section of the
store’s window to gain entry.
Prowling: A resident in
the 4300 block of Taylor’s
Woods Drive said she saw a
prowler behind her home on
Feb. 9. The woman told
deputies she has noticed a
strange man on her property
before and two of her animals
recently suffered injuries, one
from a gunshot and the other
from antifreeze poisoning.
Drug arrests: Deputies
arrested two people for pos
session of methamphetamine
in connection with a Feb. 10
traffic stop in a Kroger park
ing lot in the 2300 block of
Bethelview Road in
from a Bob West of Cherokee
County who submitted a sworn
statement that he contributed to
Abernathy’s 1996 campaign
funds, but was not listed in sub-
sequent disclo
sure reports.
The board
is investigating
that matter fur
ther to see if
there is addi
tional proof,
such as a
check, to deter
mine if a pub-
lic hearing will be conducted.
“If there is a check, we’ve
got a serious matter here,” said
Board Member Tim Perry.
Since forming, the board has
only investigated three ethics
complaints each one con
cerning Abernathy and has
summarily dismissed all the
complaints due to lack of evi
dence for the allegations.
Board Chairman Dan Wolf
said after the meeting the board
The manager complied
with the robber’s instructions
and pressed an emergency
alarm after the suspect fled
from the restaurant.
Witnesses described the
suspect as a black man, about
5 feet, 10 inches and 190
pounds. He was described as
having a medium build.
Detectives took photos of
the scene and attempted to
collect fingerprints. No arrests
were made in the case as of
late Thursday afternoon.
The restaurant reported
$1,585 cash stolen during the
robbery.
Anyone with information
about the case is asked to call
the Forsyth County Sheriff’s
Office at (770) 781-2222.
orts
Cumming. The driver, Chris
Terry Barrett, 22, of
Cumming was charged with
possession of methampheta
mine with intent to distribute,
possession of a firearm during
commission of a crime and
driving on a suspended
license. A passenger, Gina
Harris, 23. of Alpharetta was
charged with possession of
methamphetamine. Deputies
placed a .22-caliber handgun,
glass pipe and suspected
methamphetamine into evi
dence. Both were released on
Feb. 11, Barrett on a $30,500
bond and Davis on a SIO,OOO
bond.
Theft: An employee at
The Ridge restaurant, 1035
Turner Road, reported Feb. 9
a person has used a company
account without permission to
visit pornographic sites on the
Internet, incurring $720 in
charges.
Theft: A resident in the
6500 block of Nuggett Trail
in Gainesville on Feb. 6
reported an engagement ring
and wedding band were
stolen from a jewelry box
within her home.
Vandalism: Windows and
mirrors were shattered on
four vehicles at Greenleaf C
& D Landfill, 4512 Keith
Bridge Road in Gainesville,
between Feb. 7 and 9.
Damage was estimated at
$1,900.
Drug arrest: Two men
were arrested on drug charges
following a traffic stop late
Thursday on Ga. 400 near
exit 17. Glenn Corbett
Satterfield, 42, of
Dawsonville and Jeffrey
Leroy Fricks, 24, of
Dahlonega each were charged
with possession of metham
phetamine with intent to dis
tribute. Satterfield, the driver,
also was charged with driving
without insurance. The pair
was being held in the Forsyth
County Adult Detention
Facility awaiting bond.
aims to give fair consideration
to each and every complaint
that’s filed.
“We want to give everyone a
complete, fair hearing and fol-
"If there is a check,
we've got a serious
matter here"
-Tim Perry
99
tions without solid concrete evi
dence,” he said. “We fully han
dle all of the information pro
vided and then we compare it to
what the ordinance requires.”
“To bring an ethics com
plaint against any individual is a
serious and solemn occasion
because one’s reputation is a
serious asset,” Wolf said.
Abernathy denied the allega
tions in documents submitted to
the board.
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Convicted sex offender wanted
By Colby Jones
Staff Writer
A convicted sex offender
has dropped off the radar of
local law enforcement authori
ties.
James A. Colwell, 63, of
Gainesville is wanted by the
Forsyth County Sheriff’s
Office for failing to notify
authorities of a change in his
home address and employ
ment.
Colwell registered as a sex
offender when he moved to a
home in the 9000 block of
Prestige Lane in north Forsyth
County in May 2003, said
Capt. Ron Freeman.
Colwell worked for an area
boat sales company. Neigh
bors, who recalled him inter
acting with children in the
neighborhood, became suspi
cious when they learned he
previously was convicted of
sexual assault on a child in
Wisconsin, Freeman said.
During a surprise visit to
Colwell’s home earlier this
week, sheriff’s detectives
found no trace of him at either
low the ordi
nance,” Wolf
said. “We also
want to have
good evi
dence.”
“The ordi
nance doesn’t
allow people
to be attacked
just by allega-
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Sunday, F,bru>ry 15,2004
Colwell
his home or
workplace.
“It ap
pears he has
left. We
don’t know
if he’s left
the state,”
Freeman
said. “He is
considered a
fugitive at
this time.”
Colwell faces a felony war
rant for violating the terms of
the Georgia Sex Offender
Registry Act. The law requires
convicted sex offenders to
notify law enforcement within
10 days of moving to a new
residence or obtaining a new
job.
Colwell also is wanted by
law enforcement authorities in
Wisconsin for violating his
probation.
In 2000, Colwell was con
victed in Walworth County,
Wise., for first-degree sexual
assault on a child.
Although his neighbors in
Forsyth County recall him
interacting with children, none
reported witnessing him harm
any children. The current
charge against him relates
only to a reporting violation.
Colwell is described as 6
feet, 2 inches and 185 pounds
with gray hair and blue eyes.
He is one of 34 convicted
sex offenders registered in
Forsyth County. As away to
check up on the offenders,
sheriff’s detectives and local
probation officers last year
began conducting surprise vis
its at the homes and work
places of the offenders. Visits
typically last only five min
utes, enough time to verify an
offender’s living and working
addresses. Most offenders
understand their duties under
the law and are not surprised
at all when a detective knocks
on their door.
“They have no problem
dealing with us and we have
no problem dealing with
them,” Freeman said.
Anyone with information
on Colwell’s whereabouts is
asked to call the Forsyth
County Sheriff’s Office at
(770) 781-2222.
PAGE 5A