Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2008
Public Safety
reports on crimes, wrecks, fires & courts
Bank robber gets 167 years behind bars
BANK ROBBER
A photo released by law enforcement officials in
2007 shows the suspect of an armed bank robbery in
Braselton. The suspect would jump on the counter of
each bank and demand cash.
Former PD captain indicted
Friday by federal grand jury
Trigga ’jumped
counters at banks
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A MAN WHO robbed
two Braselton banks in 2007
— along with several oth
ers in Metro Atlanta — has
been sentenced to 167 years
in prison.
U.S. District Judge
Richard W. Story sentenced
Souksakhone Phaknikone,
26 — also known as “Bruce
Phaknikone” and “Trigga”
— on seven counts of armed
bank robbery, seven counts
of use of a firearm during
the commission of the armed
bank robberies, and one count
of being a convicted felon in
possession of a firearm on
Thursday.
Phaknikone was sentenced
to 167 years, one month in
prison to be followed by five
years of supervised release,
and ordered to pay restitution
in the amount of $86,706.
After a trial lasting approx
imately a week and a half, the
jury convicted Phaknikone,
Dacula, of the charges in
September.
“Over a seven-month peri
od in 2006 and 2007, this
defendant terrorized peo
ple in banks across metro
Atlanta,” said U.S. Attorney
THE JACKSON County
Sheriff’s Office arrested 41
people during the past week,
including the following:
•Paul Jayson Allred, 31, 308
Cemetery Street, Maysville, fail
ure to appear, executing checks
knowing assigned to another
and forgery in the first degree.
•Dustin Ross Barrett, 17, 770
Swan Road, Jefferson, hunt
ing from public road, hunting
deer at night and hunting from
vehicle.
•Christopher Antwain Harris,
24, 343 Holiday Court Road,
Jefferson, criminal trespass,
obstruction or hindering law
enforcement officers and public
drunkenness.
•Mary Louise Haygood, 62,
299 Old Indian Trail, Jefferson,
deposit account fraud.
•Billy Ray Henson, 21, 490
Ashley Lane, Athens, forgery in
the first degree.
•Tina Marie Howell, 41, 31
Lauri Lane, Crawford, deposit
account fraud.
•Michelle Lea Saucier, 32,
326 Irvin Drive, Dawsonville,
identity theft.
•Lred Doyle Sizemore, 45,
16 Pleasant Hill Drive, Talmo,
following too closely, driving
while license suspended and
open container.
•Nicholas Adam Stephens,
19, 371 John Collier Road,
David E. Nahmias in a state
ment. “While his violent and
aggressive tactics enabled
him to victimize numerous
unsuspecting bank tellers, the
sentence he received today
ensures that the remainder of
his life will be spent behind
bars. Innocent citizens will
never again suffer from the
gun-toting violence of this
criminal.”
Phaknikone's signature
move in robbing area banks
was jumping the tellers'
counters, according to the
U.S. Attorney's Office.
He did that move at two
Athens, shooting from a public
road, hunting from vehicle and
hunting deer at night.
•Christopher R.C. Thomason,
18, 199 Leachman Road,
Homer, public indecency.
•Shelia Nanette Williams, 44,
2645 Danielsville Road, Athens,
failure to appear and theft by
taking motor vehicle.
•Candi Alease Womack, 24,
294 Longview Drive, Jefferson,
DUI.
•Dale Glenn Allen, 41, 7174
Hwy. 53, Braselton, probation
violation.
•Teresa Melissa Konduros,
41, 2180 Apple Valley Road,
Commerce, cruelty to children
and battery.
•Victor Joseph Lafountain, 36,
180 Hiwathia Hills, Cleveland,
probation violation.
•Ricky Shane Rider, 23,
3815 Snare, Gillsville, failure
to appear.
•Jimmy Nathaniel Ballenger,
40, 438 Roosevelt Boulevard,
Commerce, simple assault.
•Pamela Heather Ballenger,
33, 438 Roosevelt Boulevard,
Commerce, battery and issu
ance of bad checks.
•Marion Henry Cagle Jr., 61,
3255 Harmony Church Road,
Gainesville, open container,
driving while license suspended,
driving under the influence of
alcohol, improper stopping on
armed robberies in Braselton
— first at The People’s Bank
on Ga. Hwy. 211 on Jan. 31,
2007, and two weeks later at
the Hometown Community
Bank on Ga. Hwy. 53.
Shortly after the two rob
beries, the Jackson County
Sheriff’s Office said it
believed that the same sus
pect committed both crimes
based on the robber’s tech
nique and description. The
Peoples Bank in Braselton is
located in Barrow County.
At the time, the suspect
was described as a black
male, 5-4” to 5’5” wearing
roadway and habitual violator.
•Travion Demayne
Davenport, 24, 271 MLK Jr
Drive, Jefferson, probation vio
lation.
•Colin Stacey Hamilton,
40, 1748 Brandemere Drive,
Austell, forgery in the first
degree.
•Lewis Ray McDonald, 50,
145 Bernice Drive, Bogart, pro
bation violation.
•Andres Rafael Rivas,
26, 4220 Belvedear Drive,
Gainesville, probation viola
tion.
•Jamone Devoxia White,
22, 897 W.L. Williams Road,
Commerce, probation violation.
•Darrel Anthony Williams,
42, 170 Norman Road, Athens,
mandatory education for chil
dren between ages seven and
16.
•Kimberley Ann Williams,
39, 170 Norman Road, Athens,
mandatory education for chil
dren between ages seven and
16.
•Brandon Tobias Browner, 27,
7665 Jefferson Blvd., Athens,
possession of marijuana and
expired tag.
•Steven Dwight Canup, 39,
284 Coyote Trail, Martin, pro
bation violation.
•Virginia Ann Elinburg, 39,
3654 Coker Road, Gainesville,
petition for revocation.
a black mask, a light brown
hooded jacket, blue jeans and
gloves.
Intensive investigation
revealed Phaknikone had
visited a number of the
banks without his mask to
“case” and plan the robber
ies, according to Nahmias.
Agents obtained bank sur
veillance photos from
“Trigga’s” pre-robbery visits
to the banks, which in effect,
removed his mask for the
jury and revealed “Trigga’s”
true identity.
Phaknikone was arrested in
April 2007, after he robbed a
Wachovia Bank in Suwanee
and led police on a high
speed chase that ended in a
collision and his apprehen
sion at gun point.
The case was investi
gated by Special Agents
of the Lederal Bureau of
Investigation, the Georgia
Bureau of Investigations,
and the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Lirearms, and
Explosives, and police offi
cers from the following
departments: Suwanee Police
Department, Lilburn Police
Department, Duluth Police
Department, Gwinnett County
Police Department, Jackson
County Sheriff’s Department,
and Barrow County Sheriff’s
Department.
past week
•Samantha Laye Harris, 22,
1073 Harris Lord Cemetery
Road, Commerce, probation
violation.
•Brian Terry Kelly, 19, 114
Russell Drive, Anderson, S.C.,
loitering or prowling.
•Heather Anne Knighten, 27,
29 Pleasant Hill Drive, Talmo,
bad check.
•Pamela Kay Lugo-Elias,
35, 474 Jones Matthew Road,
Hull, probation violation and
bad check.
•Todd Anthony Mellon, 35,
192 Jacob Drive, Hoschton, loi
tering or prowling.
•Eublices Alcantara Navarro,
34, 1991 Oak Grove Road,
Athens, speeding and driving
while unlicensed.
•15-year-old juvenile, aggra
vated battery and disruption of
public school.
•Abner Santos, 32, 441 Kiley
Drive, Hoschton, probation vio
lation.
•Talma Talmon Simon, 38,
1190 Lowe Lane, Roswell,
criminal trespass.
•Jeffrey Wade Williams, 22,
220 Christian Road, Nicholson,
probation violation.
•Elaine Gowder Meeler, 42,
410 Wilson Cemetery Road,
Nicholson, disorderly conduct.
•James Lewis Norris Jr., 45,
410 Wilson Cemetery Road,
Nicholson, disorderly conduct.
FORMER Jefferson Police
Captian Dennis L. Thomas
of Jefferson, was indicted by
a federal grand jury Friday
on charges of possession
of a firearm while being a
drug user and possession of
a hand grenade. Thomas was
arraigned Friday before United
States Magistrate Judge Susan
S. Cole in Gainesville. He
remains detained without
bond.
“This is a sad case of a
former law enforcement offi
cer, who rose to the rank of
Captain but is now alleged to
be a drug user in possession
of a gun,” said United States
Attorney David E. Nahmias.
“Even worse, this former offi
cer was allegedly found in
possession of a hand grenade,
a dangerous device that has no
legitimate civilian purpose.”
According to Nahmias, the
indictment and information
presented in court: On October
7, Thomas allegedly was an
unlawful user of a controlled
substance while he possessed
a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson
handgun. The indictment also
charges that on October 8,
Thomas possessed a destruc
tive device, namely a grenade,
which he had not registered
in the National Firearms
Registration and Transfer
Record.
Prior to the federal indict
ment, Thomas was arrested on
A MOBILE HOME on
Peachtree Road in Jefferson
was destroyed in an early
morning fire on Monday.
“No injuries were reported
and all occupants were out of
the home upon arrival,” EMS
director Steve Nichols reports.
Units from the Jefferson Fire
Department and the Jackson
THE ARCADE Police
Department reported the fol
lowing arrests last week:
•Johana Eliana Castillo,
25, 139 Maple Avenue, West
Patterson, N.J., slower vehicle
must keep right, failure to main
tain lane and no license.
•Travis Wayne Howe n, 18,
31 Sandy Lane Court, Jefferson,
criminal trespass, cruelty to
related state charges for alleg
edly violating a protective
order by going to his estranged
wife’s home in the Jefferson
area and demanding that he be
allowed to enter. Officers were
called to the home and alleg
edly found Thomas in pos
session of a Smith &Wesson
handgun as well as a crack
pipe with cocaine residue on
it. Subsequent to his arrest,
officers executed search war
rants at Thomas’ home and on
his personal vehicle. During
the search, officers allegedly
found additional drugs in his
home and found the hand
grenade inside of a City of
Jefferson police bag located in
his personal vehicle.
This case is being investi
gated by Special Agents of the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives
(ATF), and the Jackson
County Sheriff’s Office, with
assistance from the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation (GBI)
and the City of Jefferson Police
Department. Assistant United
States Attorney Stephanie
Gabay-Smith is prosecuting
the case.
Thomas has been in the
news since 2006 when he was
put on administrative leave at
the JPD during a state inves
tigation into allegations of
corruption at the department.
That investigation fizzled and
no charges were ever filed.
County Correctional Institute
Fire Department responded
to the residential fire at 716
Peachtree Road at 4:09 a.m.
Monday.
Upon arrival, they found a
mobile home well involved
with fire. The residence was
listed as a total loss and the
cause is under investigation.
children in the third degree and
battery.
•Shelley Lynn Nichols, 20,
521 Kelly Acres Road, Appling,
underage possession of alcohol.
•Travis Conway Brady, 24,
1632 Hwy. 82 North, Jefferson,
driving while license suspend
ed, failure to maintain lane, tail
light violation and safety belt
violation.
In Memory
Dec. 27,1932 - May 7,1954
Killed by a
drunk driver
HAZEL
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office arrests
41 charged by sheriff’s office in
Home destroyed in fire
4 people arrested in Arcade
Jefferson officers report seven arrests
THE JEFFERSON Police
Department arrested seven
people last week, including the
following:
•Jose Aurelio Acostqa, 28,
374 Mobel Drive, Winder,
speeding and no license.
•Antonio Jermaine
Strickland, 31, 44 Woodbine
Street, Commerce, probation
violation.
•Jimmy Morris Hallums
Jr., 31, 6 North Azalea Street,
Liberty, S.C., driving while
license suspended and failure
to move over.
•Ralph Edward Smith, 28,
3025 B Kelsey Creek Road,
Spartanburg, S.C., possession
of marijuana less than one
ounce.
•Tamika Michelle Belt,
33, 1429 Cherry Hill Road,
Conyers, forgery.
•Shawn Gauldin, 35, 1512
Daniel Lane, Lawrenceville,
forgery.
•Antonio Tyrone Wallace, 24,
145 Apartment B. Pine Street,
Jefferson, probation violation.
LEAVES
COVERING
YOUR
YARD?
• Now offering leaf removal
starting at $65.
• Removal off property by
machine into truck so
excess is totally off your
property.
• Ask how to receive a
Wal-Mart gift card.
SWEETWATER
LANDSCAPE
GROUP
Adam Hardigree
706-614-0440
Scott Hawks
706-207-7614
General Liability &
Workers’ Comp. Ins.
Banks-Jackson Risk Reduction
DUI SCHOOL
706-336-6777
DEFENSIVE DRIVING
1728 North Broad Street, Commerce, State Certified 5010 and 2007
Next DUI Class begins on December 27,2008
Next Defensive Driving Class will be held on January 3,2009
We Want & Appreciate Your Business.
MERRY CHRISTmas!
Sales On:
• Jewelry • Firearms
• Tools • Games & Systems
• Guitars • Electronics
• Computers • Helmets
& Much More!
LOW PRICES - FAST FRIENDLY
3 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER:
Commerce Jefferson Lavonia
706-335-3808 706-367-9994 706-356-4541
See Our Classified Ads Also!
0F VALUE.