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Thursday, May 5, 2022 | Volume 135 Number 3 | Jasper, Georgia | 26 pages, 2 sections | Published Weekly | $1.00
Wilson and wife face RICO charges
over finances at gun range
More charges brought
against former school supt.
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Mid-afternoon Friday,
April 29, former superin
tendent Carlton Wilson and
his wife Cindy Wilson were
taken into custody for finan
cial charges that relate to
their involvement with Ap
palachian Gun Range where
they are co-owners.
In addition to one count
of Theft by Deception and
six counts of Theft by Taking
brought against Mr. Wilson
the week prior, he has now
been charged with Violation
of the Racketeer Influenced
and Corrupt Organizations
(RICO) Act. Mrs. Wilson
has also been charged with
Violation of the RICO Act.
These are the first charges
brought against Mrs. Wilson.
Bond was set at $25,000
for both Mr. and Mrs. Wil
son. Both bonded out Tues
day, May 3. Per the consent
bond order, issued May 2,
the Wilsons are required to
be on house arrest unless at
tending a medical appoint
ment or meeting with
lawyers, and must wear an
ankle monitor. They also
cannot have contact with any
witnesses in the case, are not
allowed at Appalachian Gun
Range, and cannot possess a
firearm.
Pickens Sheriff’s investi
gators executed a search
warrant at the couple’s resi
dence in Arbor Hills the
same afternoon they were
taken into custody.
Pickens Sheriff Book-in Photo
Carlton Wilson
Pickens Sheriff Book-in Photo
Cindy Wilson
On five occasions Mrs.
Wilson also had a company
called Georgia Brass write
checks to her that should
have been written to the gun
range, according to the doc
uments. The company pur
chases shells and casings
from gun ranges. These
checks ranged from $1,278
to $4,063 and total over
$12,115.
The affidavit goes on to
state that the Wilsons kept all
cash proceeds from the busi
ness during 2021 as well, to
taling over $40,000. The
document then outlines an
event on April 20, 2022,
when Mrs. Wilson came to
the gun range carrying a
black canvass bag and went
into the office. She asked an
employee of Appalachian
Gun & Pawn, a different
business in the same build
ing as the range, to call one
of the range co-owners
According to the Pickens
Sheriff’s affidavit, dated
April 21, 2022, the Wilsons
ran day-to-day operations of
the range. Mr. Wilson was
the primary firearms instruc
tor and Mrs. Wilson helped
manage the range’s finances.
The sheriff’s document
states that on seven instances
Mrs. Wilson wrote checks
from the Appalachian Gun
Range’s account to either
herself or Mr. Wilson, and
that they were deposited into
a joint-banking account for
personal use. Those checks
range from $1,329 to
$21,972 and total over
$60,000.
Foothills septic system critical;
“There’s no plan B,” says owner
Jeff Downing, owner of Foothills IGA and the septic system for the commercial area at the intersection of Hwy.
53 and Steve Tate Hwy, shows the 21-year-old equipment used to handle the businesses’ sewage, which he believes
has about two more years of life left.
Upcoming
weekends
packed
with fun
Events will be popping
up across the county in
the coming weeks. From
Kid’s Fishing Day to Sec
ond Saturday and a rodeo
in Marble Hill there will
be plenty to do as we
move toward the summer
months and look forward
to the end of the school
year and on to The Fourth
of July.
This Friday and Satur
day, May 6th and 7th
Jasper Pro Rodeo will be
at the JeepFest grounds in
Marble Hill. Gates open
at 6 p.m. and the rodeo
starts at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, May 7th
the fishing rodeo will take
place from 9 a.m. to 2
p.m. at Long Swamp
Creek on Cove Road. The
event is for children ages
15 and under.
On May 14th Second
Saturday Downtown will
get started with the T
James Band at 4 p.m. on
Main Street.
Flip through this
week’s edition to find
more details on each of
these upcoming events.
Chapman
named
Teacher
of Year
Sonia Chapman
By Larry Cavender
Progress Contributor
A veteran teacher of 24
years, Sonia Chapman
was named the 2021-22
Pickens County Teacher
of the Year at ceremonies
held at Chattahoochee
Tech in Jasper last Mon
day evening. "It was
amazing," she said upon
See Chapman on 11A
Deal with Big
Canoe’s sewage
company and
county essential to
continue serving
commercial area
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
It’s a short walk from the
road behind Foothills ACE
Hardware to the sewage
package plant that services
the Foothills Village shop
ping center. Down a little
path, through a grassy field
and there it was, it all of its
underwhelming glory.
The “plant” was much
smaller than I’d anticipated,
and at least visually did not
appear to be in good shape.
The metal is corroded. The
covers meant to keep debris
out of the wastewater were
doing nothing of the sort.
Jeff Downing, private
owner of the sewage plant
and also owner of the
Foothills IGA grocery store,
says the system is nearing
the end of its lifespan and if
a deal can’t be reached with
Big Canoe’s private sewage
company Utilities Inc. and
the county, the future of
Foothills Village is threat
ened. He believes if the sep
tic system fails, closure of
the shopping center is possi
ble and it would impact
everything from lifestyle, to
county tax revenue, to prop
erty values and jobs.
“There’s no good plan B,
and that’s the problem,”
Downing said of a partner
ship with Utilities Inc. “We
need to protect what we
have here. The shopping
area is an essential part of
See Sewage on 11A
Marcia McDaniel winner of
Golden Deed Award
Submitted by Tanya Akins
President-Elect, PCREA
The Pickens County Retired Educa
tors Association (PCREA) held its April
meeting with a focus on honoring others
and the highest attendance since pre-
Covid days.
Marcia McDaniel was the recipient of
the 2021 Golden Deed Award for her
contribution to our community.
She is an active member of the local
chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma So
ciety International which promotes the
professional and personal growth of
women educators and excellence in edu
cation. She is an active deacon at Jasper
First Baptist Church and volunteers many
hours in the preschool and with the
youth.
She has served on the Pickens County
Library Board of Trustees and on the
Pickens County Headstart Readiness
Team.
McDaniel is best known for her many
hours of work with the Pickens County
Weekend Snack Program and the Back
pack Program.
“We celebrate her servant’s heart and
her many hours of dedication to others,”
stated PCREA.
You do not have to be a retired educa
tor to join our group. If you have a love
for community service, education, and/or
children, we would love for you to join
us. Our final 2021-2022 meeting will be
held on Wednesday, May 11, 2021 at the
Pickens County Community Center, be
ginning at 11:30 a.m. We will hold in
stallation of officers for the 2022-2023
year, and hear from Sheriff Donnie Craig
See Deed on 11A
Marcia McDaniel, Golden Deed
recipient, with her award.
George Weaver Jr. and arrange
a meeting with her. Mrs. Wilson
is then seen on the surveillance
camera system inside the office
obstructing the view of the
camera by placing two “screen-
type mats in front of the cam
era, which was in the comer of
the room near the ceiling. She
then empties the contents of the
black bag into a file drawer and
said the bag contained
$41,000,” the affidavit states.
Mrs. Wilson announced the
amount to at least one other per
son who was in the room with
her at the time. Range co-owner
See Wilsons on 11A
Law Enforcement
18 arrested in
widespread drug
case
Page 3A
Entertainment
Second Saturday
Downtown set to
take stage May 14
Page 14B
Election
Sample
vote ballots for
primary
Page 6-7B
Obituaries - 9A
• Amanda Perry
• Clarice Stewart
• Donna Bryant
• Donna Garrow
• Emory Ray
• Gheorghe Bratu
• Hoss Edge
• James Gunter
• Joe Hullender
• Kathleen Snyder
• Larry Scott
• Red Smith
• Roland Boisjolie
• Sheree Bainbridge
• Virgil Chastain
• Walter Frady
Contact Us
94 North Main Street
Jasper, Ga. 30143
706-253-2457
www.pickensproaress.com
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