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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016
Crime/Public Safety
Banks deputies arrest 10 in drug raid
After an extensive narcot
ics investigation, Banks Coun
ty deputies executed a search
warrant at 178 Wooded Lake
Drive, Homer, on Thursday,
and arrested 10 people.
On the scene, two stolen
vehicles were recovered,
three firearms were discov
ered, along with a trafficking
amount of Methamphet-
amine. A total of ten people
were arrested and transport
ed to Banks County Sheriffs
Office Law Enforcement Cen
ter.
The following were arrest
ed:
•Frances Annette Lewis,
178 Wooded Lake Drive,
Homer, sale of methamphet-
amine, sale of marijuana,
possession of methamphet-
amine, theft by receiving sto
len property (motor vehicle)
and two counts of possession
of a firearm by a convicted
felon.
• Jeremiah J. Abbott, 2364
Pinewood Drive, Maryville,
Tenn., possession of a fire
arm by a convicted felon,
possession of methamphet-
amine, possession of a fire
arm during the commission
Dennis Clark
of certain crimes wanted in
Maryland and Kansas for out
standing warrants.
•Carrie Denton, 15 Mor
gan Circle, Fort Oglethorpe,
possession of methamphet-
amine.
Frances Lewis
•Dennis Clark, 15 Mor
gan Circle, Fort Oglethorpe,
possession of methamphet-
amine.
•Kelly Todd Fowler, 306
Prospect Road, Toccoa,
possession of methamphet-
Jeremiah Abbott
amine.
• Michael Steven Coffman,
709 Kingston Street, Lenoir
City, Tenn., possession of
methamphetamine.
• Connie Ann Fowler,
306 Prospect Road, Toccoa,
Connie Fowler
possession of methamphet
amine.
•Jenny Lynn McCamish,
9413 A Hixon Pike, Soddy
Daisy, Tenn., possession of
methamphetamine.
•Judy Hale, 1201 North
Carrie Denton
Main Street, Lafayette, posses
sion of methamphetamine
and wanted out of Lafayette.
•Courtney Rinehart, 352
Hwy. 70, Lenoir City Tenn.,
possession of methamphet
amine.
Commerce police
investigate power
cutoff, dumpster fires
Someone cut electrical service to a convenience store and set
fires in a pair of commercial dumpsters, and Commerce police
apparently think the incidents could be related.
At 4:04 a.m. on Monday an officer responded to Presto’s, North
Broad Street, where an employee arrived to go to work and found
all the lights out, so she declined to enter.
The officer entered, and the two tried all the power switches,
to no avail. Computers and coolers were out as well, which the
employee said was not normal.
Eventually the officer walked around the outside of the building
and discovered that the power supply line had been cut on an
outbuilding that houses the electrical equipment for the store.
The main breaker for the building was in the off position. An
officer turned it on, and power was restored to the building. The
employee could find no evidence that anything in the store was
missing or out of place.
On the same morning, the same officer discovered dumpster
fires behind Quality Foods, Maysville Road, and the Dollar Tree.
Both had been burning for some time and both are close to Pres
to’s. The Commerce Fire Department put both fires out.
Other matters requiring the attention of Commerce police
during the past week include:
• Shoplifting at Home and You, Maysville Road, where store
personnel showed a man removing a camera from behind the
counter and putting the item in his pants. However, the suspect,
who is known to store personnel, exited the store before staff
realized the camera was gone. The episode was recorded on the
store’s security system.
• recovery of a vehicle parked in the AmBest Travel Plaza,
Maysville Road. The vehicle, not identified in the incident report,
was unlocked and had been on the property for a considerable
time. The officer ran the vehicle identification number through
Jackson County and learned that it was stolen in Birmingham, AL.
• response to Commerce High School in reference to meeting
with a parent whose child had run away. The officer turned the
case over to the department’s investigators.
Gillsville man arrested for meth
On Friday, Oct. 28, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
arrested Virginia Ann Elinburg, 47, of Gillsville, on metham-
phetamine-related charges.
The arrest stemmed from tips and information regarding
drug activity at Elinburg’s Gillsville residence. Investigators
with the sheriff’s office were able to make undercover pur
chases of the illegal drugs from Elinburg at her home.
During a search of Elinburg’s property on Friday, investi
gators a located a large quantity of methamphetamine and
other items commonly used to distribute the drug. Elinburg
was arrested and now faces charges of trafficking metham
phetamine, possession of methamphetamine, possession of
methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and crossing
the guard line with drugs.
Elinburg remains in the Jackson County Jail with no bond.
Also, charged during the search was Dusty Lamar Lee, 36, of
Pendergrass. Lee has been charged with possession of meth
amphetamine and possession of marijuana. Lee also remains
at the Jackson County Jail.
We’ve moved to 39 State Street!
Banks-Jackson Risk Reduction DUI School
39 State Street, Commerce, State Certified 5010, 2007 and 631
706-336-6777
Next Defensive Driving Class
will be held on November 5, 2016
Next DUI Class begins on Nov. 12, 2016
Driver Education 30/6
7 others charged by BCSO
The Banks County Sher
iff’s Office charged seven
people last week, including
the following:
•William Avery Follett,
18, 42 King Street, Com
merce, identity fraud, finan
cial transaction card fraud
and financial transaction
card theft.
• Michelle Renee Bon-
durant, 25, 1486 Chestnut
Road, Elgin, S.C., driving
with a suspended license
and speeding.
• Matthew Alexander
Bowen, 29, 6635 County
Line Road, Lula, child sup
port violation.
•Latrisa Avery Johnson,
43, 101 Pruitt Drive, Stanley
N.C., trafficking illegal drugs
and possession of marijuana.
•Majah Donovan Cou-
zan, 20, 1369 Avington
Glenn Drive, Lawnrencev-
ille, driving with a suspend
ed license, speeding and
reckless driving.
• Humberto Cabrea
Perez, 25, 3115 Central Ave
nue, open container vio
lation, driving under the
influence (DUI) of alcohol,
speeding and driving with
out a valid license.
•Chad Whattey, 34, 113-C
Cranes Mobile Home Park,
Homer, disorderly conduct
and damage to property.
Banks County Deserves
Quality Leadership
• Most Qualified
• Most Experience
• Most Education
• 40 Years of
Leadership
VOTE REPUBLICAN
eT
JIMMY HOOPER
Banks County Chairman
