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The True Citizen, Wednesday, December 9, 2020 — Page 7 A
^FOR THE RECORD
REPORT DEC. 15
Jurors drawn for Superior Court
Jurors have been drawn for the October 2020 term of Superior
Court criminal and/or civil session with Judge Carl C. Brown,
Jr. presiding. Jurors are to report at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15 to
the Burke County Judicial Center.
The list includes Jack Walker, Midville; Michael Jason
Baxter, Hephzibah; Ryan Ray Ross, Waynesboro; Geraldine
Shelton, Hephzibah; Kasey R. Boutwell, Waynesboro; Tommy
Lee White, Hephzibah; Rodriquis Marquell Green, Waynesboro;
Sharon Neidlinger, Waynesboro; Phillip J. Mallard, Girard; Edith
May Roberts, Waynesboro; Mark A. Cooper, Hephzibah; Terri
Leigh Mobley, Keysville; Melissa Bryant Welch, Waynesboro;
Wade White, Waynesboro.
Ricky Duane Jeffers, Waynesboro; Tkeyah Latreal Williams,
Waynesboro; Chamoria Dunn, Waynesboro; Monique Natasha
Washington, Waynesboro; Christopher Davis, Hephzibah; Dianne
Gilmore Hamilton, Waynesboro; Benjamin David Keilholtz,
Keysville; Christopher Robert Budd, Waynesboro; Dorothy
Jean Price, Waynesboro; Ruby Mae McReed, Midville; Alfonzo
Brihm, Sr., Waynesboro; Christopher Lord Simon, Hephzibah;
Dana Cecilia Mays, Blythe; Jamie Christine Smith, Milledgeville;
Gary Wayne Lively, Waynesboro.
Ronald Tate Elliott, Keysville; Chad G. Richards, Waynesboro;
Paul A. McKinney, Keysville; Cynthia Turner, Girard; Willie
Clay Jones, Jr., Waynesboro; Anthony R. Walker, Waynesboro;
Vincent Bernard Mills, Jr., Waynesboro; Wieslaw Wesley Olczak,
Waynesboro; Kathryn B. Cannon, Waynesboro; Antolin Silverio-
luciano, Hephzibah; Gregory Green, Waynesboro; Stephen Terell
Dishmond, Millen; Brenda Louise Chandler, Girard; Jessica
Maria Posey, Waynesboro; James Lee Abrams, Waynesboro;
Richard Lee Howard, Waynesboro.
Dora L. Jones, Waynesboro; Joseph Andrew Giles, Waynes
boro; James A. Rape, Keysville; Zurisha Nikita Hall, Waynesboro;
Vanessa Nicole Rogers, Sardis; Dennis Ufot Itina, Waynesboro;
Joy Dailey Sylvester, Waynesboro; Donald Thomas Johnson, Jr.,
Blythe; Betty A. Jenkins, Waynesboro; Vivian Brigham Gardner,
Girard; Keisha Mickey Holmes, Waynesboro; Cindy McPherson
Lreeman, Waynesboro; Larry Harris, Waynesboro; Gloria A.
Jones, Louisville; Abigail Velasquez, Hephzibah.
Joy E. Tucker, Hephzibah; Joe David Woods, Hephzibah; Euge
nia Mildred Collins, Sardis; Michael Scott Josey, Hephzibah; Kir-
mey Dewayne McLeod, Girard; Sophia Dawn Nancy Langham,
Waynesboro; Nancy Vining Jones, Hephzibah; Maxine Martin,
Waynesboro; Brittany Nicole McClain, Sardis; Desmond Jamal
Stone, Waynesboro; Bruce Allen Ward, Waynesboro; Thomas C.
Martignoni, Waynesboro; Joseph Maurice Willis, Waynesboro;
Christy Mead Nunnally, Waynesboro; Judge Bryant, Waynesboro;
Jacob Andrew White, Waynesboro.
Contessy Morel Patterson, Girard; Devontae Deshawn Mack,
Waynesboro; Kathy Garris Gilliam, Waynesboro; Robert Earl
Row, Hephzibah; Amour Debrya Reese, Keysville; Dorothy
McReed, Midville; Lloyd Oscar Vickery, IV, Girard; Nicole
O’Pry, Waynesboro; Tammy Carol McCallister, Waynesboro;
Sonia Jean Henderson, Waynesboro; Katelyn Diane Miller,
Waynesboro; Juba Amette Kelly, Sardis; Julian Travis Jenkins,
Waynesboro; Pamela L. Menebeld, Keysville; Brionna Shaque
Lewis, Waynesboro; Kenyonna C. Bostic, Waynesboro.
Quincy James Williams, Waynesboro; Vannie Rouse Cooper,
Waynesboro; SandraR. Mobley, Waynesboro; Larry Paul Dixon,
Waynesboro; George Herbert Bradham, Jr., Waynesboro; Unida
Jenkins, Waynesboro; Carolyn Renee Brigham, Girard; Courtney
Elizabeth Dias, Waynesboro; Brittaney Breanna Sims, Waynes
boro; Jonathan Tyrese Brown, Waynesboro; Michelle Lynne Eis,
Hephzibah; Betty Ann Walker, Waynesboro; Thomas Lrancis
Silver, III, Hephzibah; Reanna Leleaseia Robinson, Waynesboro;
Simpson Gray, Jr., Hephzibah.
SylviaL. Stevens, Waynesboro; HaleiNashay Lamb, Midville;
Christopher O. Gardner, Waynesboro; Marissa Pilar Gomez,
Keysville; Thelma Nancy Iakopo, Hephzibah; Latasha Nicole
Martin-Phillips, Hephzibah; Macie Bernice Walker, Hephzibah;
Krishaun D. Ketchup, Hephzibah; Namere Rahsul Brown, Hep
hzibah; Ronnie Larmont Cooper, Waynesboro; Earnest Thomas
Shiflett, Jr., Waynesboro; Jimmy D. Lranks, Waynesboro; Martina
Brigitte Anderson, Waynesboro; Eusi Kinai Jabari, Waynesboro;
Barton Andrew Weitzel, Waynesboro.
Deandre Whitbeld, Waynesboro; Lrederick Vincent Dehner,
Waynesboro; Starles Mashana Newkirt, Waynesboro; Lee E.
Jones, Sr., Waynesboro; Bertie Rose Thomas, Hephzibah; Tyasia
La Shaun Lreeman, Waynesboro; QueenE. Holmes, Waynesboro;
Montrez Trevon Scott, Waynesboro; Eugene Moore, Waynesboro;
Michael Stephen Robinson, Jr., Hephzibah; Bruce Erwin Scott,
Sr., Waynesboro; Maurizia Jordanna Cenal, Hephzibah; Angelyn
Williams Moore, Sardis; Joe Lranklin Lairsey, Sardis; Larry Dean
Lariscy, Waynesboro; Viola H. Cryer, Girard.
Pamela Denise Welch Sikes, Waynesboro; Annie Ruth Doyle,
Waynesboro; Jimmy Williams, Waynesboro; Van Lively, Jr.,
Waynesboro; Joyce Streetman Bell, Keysville; Alma Rae Jewell,
Waynesboro; Lreddie L. Williams, Girard; Lugene Scurry, Jr.,
Girard.
BURKE COUNTY JAIL BOOKINGS OCT. NOV.30-DEC. 6
Marvin Jefferson
Jackson, 46
Johnson Rd., Sardis
BCSO, Dec. 6
Simple battery -
family violence.
Terrance Marque
Brown, 30
Hwy 56 N., Waynes
boro
BCSO, Nov. 30
Conditional trans
fer-possession of
marijuana with the
intent to distribute;
conditional transfer -
battery.
Kaitlyn Leslie
Napier, 26
Johnson Rd., Sardis
BCSO, Nov. 30
Probation violation
- felony; failure to
appear - misde
meanor; driving while
license suspended
or revoked - misde
meanor.
John Brian
Rogers, 63
Old Waynesboro Rd.,
Waynesboro
BCSO, Dec. 5
DUt - driving under
the influence of
alcohol; failure to
maintain lane.
Brandice Ashley
Williams, 32
Bent Knee Rd.,
Keysville
BCSO, Nov. 30
Safekeeping for
Richmond County
SO - identity fraud
(3 counts).
James Kenneth
Merritt, 34
Santa Rosa Dr.,
Augusta
BCSO, Dec. 2
Possession of a fire
arm by a convicted
felon; possession of
methamphetamine;
defective windshield;
parole violation (pos
session of metham
phetamine with the
intent to distribute).
Rodney Eric
Strickland, 41
Hoods Chapei Rd.,
Blythe
BCSO, Dec. 2
Trafficking in metham
phetamine; possession
of a firearm by a con
victed felon (3 counts);
possession of a firearm
during the commission
of a crime (3 counts);
unlawful street gang
activity; safekeeping for
Ga. DCS - probation
violation (trafficking in
methamphetamine.
AGENCIES
BCSO: Burke County Sheriff’s Office;
WPD: Waynesboro Police Department;
GSP: Georgia State Patrol;
MPD: Midville Police Department;
SPD: Sardis Police Department;
DOC: Department of Corrections
DNR: Department of Natural Resources
DISCLAIMER NOTICE: ALL ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY
IN A COURT OF LAW
1022 N. Liberty St., Waynesboro - 706-551-0876
BURKE EMA REPORT
The Burke County Emergency Management Agency re
sponded to 102 patients’ calls during the week ending Dec. 6.
Of those, 68 resulted in transports, including 35 to Augusta
hospitals. Thirty four of the transports were determined to
be emergencies and 34 were non-emergent.
The agency also answered 12 bre calls during the week.
They included one brush/grass fire, one power line down, six
rescues, two public service calls and two unspecified calls.
Puppy scams on the rise
KELVIN COLLINS
The COVID-19 pandemic
has dramatically increased
demand for pets as people seek
adding a pet to the family to
ease the loneliness and tension
of prolonged time at home.
With this rising demand has
come a spike in pet scams, in
which an online search ends
with a would-be pet owner
paying hundreds of dollars to
purchase a pet that ultimately
doesn’t exist. Better Business
Bureau (BBB) advises extreme
caution when shopping for a
pet online, especially in light
of scammers’ evolving tactics.
Soon after cities and states
began to impose tighter restric
tions to curb the spread of CO-
VID-19, BBB Scam Tracker
saw a spike in pet fraud reports,
with nearly 4,000 reports re
ceived in 2020. Data from
BBB Scam Tracker shows
more reports about fraudulent
pet websites in April than in
the first three months of the
year combined. The COVID
bump is continuing into the
holiday season with consum
ers reporting 337 complaints
to BBB about puppy scams in
November 2020, a dramatic
increase from 77 for the same
month in 2019.
The median loss reported to
Scam Tracker in 2020 is $750.
Those aged 35 to 55 accounted
for half of BBB reports in
2020.
The pandemic has given
scammers a new tool in their
arsenal. Scam Tracker re
ports show that many fraud
sters are telling would-be pet
owners they cannot meet the
animals before sending money.
Petscams.com, which tracks
and exposes these scams, rec
ommends using another tool
popularized by COVID-19 —
video conferencing — to meet
the animal and owner virtually
before buying as a way of re
ducing scam vulnerability.
At the current pace, pet
scams reported to BBB will
be nearly five times as many as
in 2017, when BBB published
its first in-depth investigative
study on pet scams. The pro
jected dollar loss from these
scams is expected to top $3
million, more than six times the
total losses reported in 2017.
Scam Tracker data indicates
that mobile payment apps like
Zelle and CashApp are often
used now, whereas Western
Union or MoneyGram wire
transfers were popular pay
ment methods documented in
the 2017 study. Both Zelle and
CashApp have issued warnings
about pet scams. In addition,
pet scammers now commonly
use online advertising tools
such as sponsored links to
boost their fraudulent listings
in search results.
One consumer reported to
BBB in April that he used
Zelle to pay $940 for a Trench
bulldog puppy from scam
mers who used a bogus, but
legitimate looking, website to
handle shipping for the puppy
that never arrived.
The 2017 BBB study noted
that most scammers are un
able to process credit cards.
Although that remains the
case, some pet scammers now
use fraudulent online forms to
collect credit card information.
Since the scammers do not
have legitimate arrangements
to process credit cards, victims
may receive an error message
stating that the card was de
clined. Scammers then direct
the buyer to send money a dif
ferent way. But now the scam
mers have stolen the credit card
number and use these stolen
cards to pay for domain names
of websites and otherwise fund
their scam activities. Pet buy
ers using a credit card need to
monitor their credit card state
ments carefully.
In addition to telling buyers
they cannot meet a pet before
paying because of the pan
demic, fraudsters have made
COVID-19-related money
requests for items such as spe
cial climate-controlled crates,
insurance and a (non-existent)
COVID-19 vaccine. There
also were instances where pur
chasers wanted to pick up the
pet but were told that wasn’t
possible due to COVID-19
restrictions.
In July, another victim told
BBB she had attempted to
purchase a Yorkshire terrier
puppy from an online seller
who would accept payment
only via mobile apps or gift
cards. As instructed, she ini
tially paid $600 for the puppy
by purchasing a pair of $300
Vanilla cards and sending
photos of the front and back
to the seller. Two days later,
she was asked to use the same
method to pay another $750 for
“reimbursable pet insurance.”
When she was asked the next
day to similarly pay $850 for a
“regulated crate,” she told the
seller she had exhausted her
funds and no longer wanted
to proceed with the purchase.
The woman told BBB the seller
promised to refund her by gift
card but did not and never
contacted her again.
In August, another victim re
ported to BBB that he believed
the dachshund puppy he paid
$700 for through Zelle was on
its way to him when scammers
asked for more money to be
wired for a special climate-
controlled crate. The wire
request raised a red flag for the
man, but he said he mistakenly
believed the Zelle payment
was protected. The fraudulent
sellers cut off communication
with him, and he lost the $700.
BBB recommendations for
buying pets online:
• See the pet in person before
paying any money. In light of
the COVID-19 pandemic, con
sider a video call with the seller
so you can see the seller and the
actual pet for sale. Since scam
mers are not likely to comply
with the request, this may help
avoid a scam.
• Do a reverse image search
of the photo of the pet and
search for a distinctive phrase
in the description.
• Do research to get a sense
of a fair price for the breed you
are considering. Think twice if
someone advertises a purebred
dog for free or at a deeply dis
counted price ... it could be a
fraudulent offer.
• Check out a local animal
shelter online for pets you can
meet before adopting.
Who to contact if you are the
victim of a pet scam:
• Petscams.com - petscams.
com/report-pet-scam-websites
tracks complaints, catalogues
puppy scammers and endeav
ors to get fraudulent pet sales
websites taken down.
• Lederal Trade Commission
(ETC) - reportfraud.ftc.gov to
hie a complaint online or call
877-LTC-Help.
• Better Business Bureau -
BBB Scam Tracker to report a
scam online.
• Your credit card issuer or
bank - if you provided your
credit card or account number,
even if the transaction was not
completed.
COVID-19 has made for a
long and uncertain year, and
a ‘quarantine puppy’ or other
pet has proven to be a comfort
for many people, but it also
has created fertile ground for
fraudsters. People currently
shopping for pets online are
prime targets for fraudsters
trolling the internet looking
for want-to-be pet owners.
Knowing the red hags associ
ated with this scam can help
consumers avoid heartache and
losing their money.
Kelvin Collins is president
& CEO of the Better Business
Bureau serving the Tail Line
Corridor.