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THURSDAY. MARCH 18. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 11A
Continued From 1A
Charges
The charges now include
more than 40 counts of mis
use of the county credit card
for personal purchases; a
handful of theft by taking and
forgeries and violation of
oath of office. Most of the
charges from the March
grand jury were re-indict
ments of previous charges.
However, included in the
latest indictment is one count
of racketeering for the pattern
of regular criminal conduct
between October of 2016 and
June of 2019. Wigington was
first arrested in January of
2020 for stealing money
while treasurer of the Blaine
Lodge and then using magis
trate court funds to cover
that. Wigington, who had
been highly regarded in state
judicial circles and held
prominent positions at the
state level, resigned after his
arrest and has not made any
comment on the situation.
Most of the charges
against Wigington boil down
to him using the county credit
card to fund regular pur
chases of goods and pay for
lodging and vacation travel.
The charges show that Wig
ington used the county credit
card for everything from rou
tine purchases of probiotic
dietary supplements to Apple
watches and for hotel room
stays around Georgia, in
Florida and New Orleans.
The latest indictment in
cludes one count where Wig
ington was accused of using
the county credit card to pay
for parking “at an Embassy
Suites in Atlanta, Georgia to
engage in a rendezvous with
an escort, contrary to the
laws of this state, the good
order, peace and dignity
thereof.”
Chief Deputy Jeff Hall
said the GBI uncovered the
escort angle while trying to
corroborate whether Wiging
ton was on county business
or personal trips and it may
figure into some of the hotel
rooms as well. “They aren’t
saying he paid for a prostitute
with the county funds, just
that he used the cards to fa
cilitate it,” he said.
A Progress open records
request in 2020 found that the
magistrate judge’s credit card
bills totaled $43,265 for
2019. Of these $9,593 were
for hotel rooms; $7,770 for
Amazon purchases; $2,477 at
restaurants and $2,449 for
gas. An investigator said a
similar pattern would be seen
in the 2018 bills.
On the racketeering, Hall,
who is handling the case for
the sheriff’s office in coordi
nation with the GBI and the
attorney general’s office, ex
plained that these racketeer
ing (often called RICO)
charges “basically show a
pattern of schemes, conspira
cies and crimes.”
The racketeering portion
of the indictment, submitted
by John Fowler, the prosecut
ing attorney of the Ga. Attor
ney General’s office,
provides a detailed descrip
tion of “the scheme.”
The indictment states that
Pickens County used county-
issued credit cards [called “P-
cards”] where bills are sent
directly to government ac
counts. The indictment con
tinues that Wigington would
place certain goods or serv
ices on his P-card. He would
then fill out reimbursement
forms for the Institute of
Continuing Judicial Educa
tion in Georgia for the same
charges. “When the Institute
of Continuing Judicial Edu
cation in Georgia reimbursed
funds to William Allen Wig
ington, he kept the funds for
himself instead of giving
them to Pickens County gov
ernment.”
The indictment then
shows where Wigington used
this scheme regularly from
October of 2016 through
June of 2019, with 37 sepa
rate incidents involving fuel
and lodging detailed where
Wigington charged it to his
P-card and then kept the re
imbursement from the judi
cial education agency.
“Through their pattern of
racketeering activity, William
Allen Wigington endeavored
to acquire and maintain per
sonal property, to wit: money
from Pickens County govern
ment,” the indictment reads.
The new counts also in
cluded a theft by taking
where Wigington was the ad
ministrator of the estate of
James Taudte (his wife’s fa
ther) and he deprived the
other heirs of their proper in
heritance by taking funds for
himself. His wife was not
charged in that count.
Rosemary Wigington was
charged along with her hus
band on six of the counts, in
cluding the purchase of a
Microsoft Surface Pro com
puter, one theft by taking of
money from a local attorney,
a couple of counts of unau
thorized use of the county
credit card at K&G clothing
stores and for a plane ticket
to Naples, Fla., and one
charge of theft by taking
where both Wigingtons are
accused of being in posses
sion of less than $1,500 of
money from the Pickens
Board of Education. Rose
mary was not charged indi
vidually for anything.
When asked if the latest
indictments marked the end
of the investigation, Hall said
the case would be considered
open until it is disposed of
and “we will continue to look
in every drawer and in every
box and if anything leads us
to a crime, we will pursue it.”
He said there is no time
line of when things could
wrap up or go to court. Both
Wigingtons remain out on
bond.
Pickens County commis
sioners had previously
agreed to a full forensic audit
of the magistrate court, but
that had not been started prior
to the latest grand jury indict
ments.
Wigington had been a reg
ular fixture in Pickens
County government going
back more than 25 years, in
cluding serving as the chief
deputy under Sheriff Billy
Wofford, then being ap
pointed as a magistrate judge
in 2008. He was elected to
his first term as chief magis
trate in 2012 and then ran un
opposed in 2016.
He had also served as the
chair of the prominent Judi
cial Council Strategic Plan
standing committee and had
served as the president of the
500-member Magistrate
Continued From 1A
Val
ties, and you can’t let who
you used to be hold you back
from what you could be
come. You’re going to meet
new people and be exposed
to new pressures, but if you
can figure out what you
enjoy doing then you’re al
ready headed in the right di
rection. High school is a time
of learning and discovery, so
don’t be afraid to do some
thing different.
Q. Where will you attend
college and what are your
plans for your major?
I will be attending Geor
gia College in the fall on an
academic scholarship. I fell
in love with the small town
atmosphere Georgia College
has, and it was easy to see
myself studying under one of
the large oak trees on the cen
ter of campus. Their Honors
College was another factor
that drew me to the campus,
and I am beyond excited to
be attending in the fall. I in
tend on majoring in biology
with the goal of entering
medical school after my un
dergraduate.
Q. They say on average a
college student changes
his/her major something
like three times over the
course of their university
years. Do you feel confident
in your choice of major or
are you open to other fields
once you start taking differ
ent classes and see what’s
out there?
I feel confident in choos
ing my major as biology be
cause ever since middle
school I have been drawn to
the medical field. A degree in
biology is the first stepping
stone towards reaching a pro
fession in healthcare. That
being said, I am open to all of
the possibilities college could
open up for me.
Q. Have you had a favorite
class while a student at
PHS? Which one and why?
My favorite class would
definitely be AP Biology. It
was one of my first AP
classes, and it helped me fig
ure out what I wanted to do
with my future. My teacher,
Mrs. Westbrook, made it easy
to understand the difficult
concepts, and pushed all of
us to be better students. I am
grateful for having her class
because I not only learned
more about my favorite topic,
but I had the chance of being
a part of such an amazing
classroom environment.
Q. What’s your secret to
success academically?
I found it easier to focus
on my academics because I
kept a planner that helped me
organize my time. Being able
to visually see everything I
had scheduled for the week
allowed me to divide up my
workload so I could spend
time concentrated on certain
assignments without the
worry that I wouldn’t have
enough time to finish other
projects. It also made it easier
for me to balance the other
activities that I enjoyed out
side of school ensuring that I
wasn’t feeling overwhelmed.
Q. What are your interests
outside of academics?
I enjoy spending time
with my youth group and get
ting to play bells with some
of the adults from Jasper
United Methodist Church. I
also enjoy spending time
playing golf with my family
and friends.
Q. Favorite high school
memory (in or outside of
class).
I remember getting called
down to my counselor, Mrs.
Rangel’s office. She asked
me if I would read what
someone had written on her
window, and there in marker
was “Heather Vincent Vale
dictorian.” I had no words to
describe the excitement I felt
to have reached such a long
term goal of mine. I was be
yond thankful in that moment
for all of the support my
teachers, friends, and family
gave me throughout high-
school.
Q. What are your passions
outside of academics?
I’m passionate about help
ing the Red Cross obtain
enough units of blood to sup
port those in need in the
healthcare community. I be
came a student blood drive
coordinator to help host
drives and increase the pints
of blood donated in Pickens.
Q. What are you most ex
cited about post high
school?
I’m really excited to get to
do some undergraduate stu
dent research. The opportuni
ties that are available
working in research labs are
vast, but I’m beyond excited
for everything it could bring.
Q. Who has been the most
influential person/ people
in your life?
My father has been the
most influential person in my
life. Ever since I was a child,
my dad was always the rock
for my family. He has this
calm demeanor that is easy to
follow in every situation. He
taught me how to be a hard
worker and a leader. I am be
yond thankful for every skill
my dad has taught me, and I
know I couldn’t have done
any of this without him or my
mom.
Q. If you could require
everyone in your senior
class to read one book,
what would that book be
and why?
I would require everyone
to read The Road by Cor-
mac McCarthy. The novel
follows the story of a father
and son who travel through a
desolate and ravaged world
where the pair face a multi
tude of struggles that seem
almost pointless given their
situation. Faced with a hope
less future, somehow the two
find enough hope within each
other to sustain themselves
throughout the journey. It
teaches readers about the im
portance of purpose and even
the tiniest glimpses of hope.
Q. What type of music do
you enjoy? Who have you
grown up listening to?
As a kid I was an avid fan
of One Direction. I still have
the cd I used to play non-stop
in my mom’s minivan. My
taste in music has definitely
changed over the years, and I
now listen to an assortment
of genres including 80s rock
and alternative.
Continued From 1A
Sal
overwhelming for me. The
homework, the responsibili
ties, and simply the process
of growing into an adult oc
casionally led to feelings of
uncertainty and self-doubt.
However, those are not the
things that I will remember
most about high school. My
best memories will be of the
beautiful sunrises over
Dragon Drive every morning.
The football games on Friday
nights in the fall. Seeing
friends in the hallway be
tween classes and sharing a
laugh. While the hard work
and dedication helped me get
where I am today, I am glad I
have so many memories to
look back on after I graduate.
Q. They say on average a
college student changes
his/her major something
like three times over the
course of their university
years. Do you feel confident
in your choice of major or
are you open to other fields
once you start taking differ
ent classes and see what’s
out there?
I am currently confident in
my choice of major, but I am
also fully aware that taking
different classes at UGA may
spark my interest in another
field. I have previously con
sidered several other careers
as a result of positive experi
ences in classes I have taken
while in high school. In fact,
becoming involved in my
high school’s mock trial team
led me to become interested
in law. While at UGA, I
know I will be exposed to
new subjects and ideas that
may lead me down a different
path.
Q. Have you had a favorite
class while a student at
PHS? Which one and why?
My favorite class I’ve
taken while a student at PHS
is AP United States History.
Throughout my time in this
class, I learned more about
topics I was previously inter
ested in and was introduced
to new ideas that helped me
become more aware about
the history of America. In ad
dition to the educational
knowledge I gained in this
class, I was also challenged
on a personal level. My AP
US History teacher expected
much time and effort from
my classmates and I to
achieve success. I was faced
with many obstacles through
out my time in this class, and
was required to improve my
time management skills and
study habits to perform well.
Unlike my experience with
previous classes, I was re
quired to spend much time
outside of school preparing
for exams. However, by the
end of the year, I had devel
oped into a more diligent and
motivated student.
Q. What’s your secret to
success academically?
I believe success can be
largely attributed to motiva
tion, time management skills,
and consistency. While it can
often be difficult to maintain
a drive to continue working
hard, keeping a specific goal
(such as earning a certain
grade on an exam, or becom
ing the salutatorian) in mind
can absolutely help to meet
that objective. The demands
of daily life can sometimes
be overwhelming, but they
can become more manage
able when one is able to effi
ciently keep track of time.
Finishing a task early is al
ways better than procrastinat
ing. It is also important to not
allow yourself to become
careless in your responsibili
ties, both in school and in
other areas of life. Taking an
occasional break to regain a
sense of purpose and motiva
tion is certainly necessary,
but consistency in achieving
your goals is essential.
Q. What are your major in
terests outside of academ
ics?
Outside of academics, I
am interested in learning
about law and gaining more
legal knowledge. While this
will be helpful in the career I
want to go into, I enjoy learn
ing about the ways in which
our legal system operates.
Watching movies and learn
ing about films has also been
one of my interests for many
years.
Q. Favorite high school
memory (in or outside of
class).
While it is difficult to nar
row down all my amazing
high school experiences, one
of my favorite memories is
the first conference I attended
while a member of the Tech
nology Student Association
(TSA). I had been involved
in TSA since I was a fresh
man, but it was only during
my junior year that I applied
for an officer position and
began attending conferences.
By the time I had been
elected chapter secretary for
Pickens TSA, the first con
ference of the year (the Chap
ter Officer Retreat for
Excellence, or CORE) was
quickly approaching. While I
was still not entirely familiar
with the other newly elected
members of my own officer
team, I would be spending an
entire weekend with hun
dreds of Georgia TSA mem
bers from other chapters. The
fact that the retreat would
take place at a secluded camp
in the woods also contributed
to my initial uneasiness.
The conference consisted
of many activities intended to
offer leadership opportuni
ties. Members attended one-
on-one meetings with
Georgia TSA’s state officers,
collaborated to create their
chapter’s program of work
for the upcoming year, and
participated in a team ropes
course, among other activi
ties. Despite my initial fears,
I found myself growing as an
individual throughout the du
ration of the conference. I
grew more appreciative of
others’ own stories and expe
riences, and learned much
from listening to their input.
I became more comfortable
with interacting with others,
and I met people who would
become some of my closest
friends. CORE remains one
of my favorite memories
from my high school years.
Q. What are your passions
outside of academics?
When I’m not focusing on
school, I love traveling
around the north Georgia
mountains and the surround
ing area. Little can compare
to spending an evening in a
small town square, or looking
out the car window to see city
lights swiftly passing by, or
seeing the sunsets over beau
tiful landscapes. I also enjoy
reading and writing on the
front porch in summer, and
by the fireplace in winter.
Q. What are you most ex
cited about post high
school?
After high school, I am
most excited about attending
college at the University of
Georgia. I have resided in
Pickens my whole life, and it
will be a fun experience get
ting the chance to live in
Athens. I will also enjoy hav
ing more freedom, meeting
people I would never have
encountered otherwise, and
finding new passions. I will
likely face challenges and
will be required to overcome
many obstacles, yet I am
ready to see what this next
step in life holds for me.
Q. Do you have your salu
tatorian speech for gradua
tion all planned out? Do
you know what you'd like
to speak on?
While I do not currently
have my entire speech for
graduation written, I defi
nitely have several things in
mind that I plan to include.
Perhaps most importantly, I
want to thank everyone who
has helped me along this
journey. There was undeni
ably a significant amount of
hard work on my end, but I
would have lacked the moti
vation it took to become salu
tatorian without the support
of my teachers, parents,
friends, and all the other peo
ple in my life that I care
about. I will also likely in
clude a few of my favorite
memories from PHS, and en
courage my fellow graduates
along their own journeys into
life beyond high school.
Q. Who has been the most
influential person/ people
in your life?
Many different people
have had an influence in my
life. Not only in high school,
but throughout elementary
and middle school, my teach
ers and parents have always
encouraged me to put forth
my best effort in all that I at
tempt. They have challenged
me and helped me develop
into a more motivated and
hard-working individual. My
friends have also made a last
ing impact on me. Both those
I have known for most of my
life and those I met when I
entered high school have
helped me grow into the best
version of myself. I have
learned valuable life lessons,
and have gained countless
unforgettable memories, with
these people.
Q. If you could require
everyone in your senior
class to read one book,
what would that book be
and why?
I would want everyone in
my senior class to read 1984
by George Orwell. It serves a
commentary on the dangers
of propaganda, the power of
mass media consumption,
and the threat of excessive
governmental control. It truly
emphasizes the importance
of individualism, by offering
a view of a world without it.
Q. What type of music do
you enjoy? Who have you
grown up listening to?
While I enjoy a variety of
music genres, my favorite is
80s rock. I grew up listening
to Journey, Def Leppard,
Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi,
AC/DC, Aerosmith, Van
Halen, Boston, 38 Special,
REO Speedwagon, Skid
Row, and other similar artists
that were popular during this
era.
Cherokee
Choral to
present Spring
concert Sun.
The Cherokee Chorale, di
rected by Scott L. Martin,
continues its 33 rd season
with a livestreamed perform
ance on Sunday, March 21st
at 4 p.m. of Ola Gjeilo's
"Sunrise Mass" as well as the
local premiere of the com
missioned work "Consider
the Lilies, An Appalachian
Requiem," composed by
North Georgia native Timo
thy Michael Powell.
Livestream available via
the Cherokee Chorale web
site at www.cherokee-
chorale.org
Access to the livestream
link is $10.