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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
Crime/Public Safety
Commerce Police Department arrests
Jackson IDA chair can't talk
police officer out of DUI charge
The chairman of the Jack-
son County Industrial Devel
opment Authority was unable
to talk a Commerce police
officer out of a DUI (driving
under the influence) charge
by mentioning his position,
dropping the names of two
Commerce police officers
and suggesting that one day
he might be the city manager
of Commerce.
According to the arrest
report, Barry Scott Martin,
48,193 Woodland Trail, Com
merce, was driving home
from a downtown restaurant
when an officer saw his vehi
cle on Central Avenue driv
ing without headlights short
ly before 9 p.m. on Wednes
day April 13. After the officer
did a U-turn to make a traffic
stop, he said he saw the vehi
cle cross the fog line.
The officer said he could
smell the odor of an alco
holic beverage coming
from inside the vehicle, so
he asked Martin to undergo
a field sobriety test. Martin
agreed, the report said, but
he also suggested that the
officer could just follow him
home because he did not
live far away. The report also
said Martin told the officer
he was “putting in for the city
manager job” in Commerce.
The officer said Martin
asked him to call two differ
ent police officers to speak
on his behalf and said he
was a “good dude,” but the
officer declined.
When Martin refused to
complete the field sobriety
test, the officer told him he
was under arrest for DUI.
Martin also refused to pro
vide a breath test.
According to the officer’s
written report, Martin told
him that his father-in-law
had been a State Trooper
for 35 years, with the officer
responding that he didn’t
know him and it would not
make any difference.
“Mr. Martin stated I should
know him because he might
be my next city manager and
he was the chairman of the
development authority for 15
years,” the officer said on his
written report.
The officer took Martin
to the Jackson County jail,
where he said Martin “asked
me if I called the mayor and
the mayor vouched for him,
if I would release him, and I
told him no.”
Martin was also charged
with driving without head
lights on after sunset.
Other Charges
Others arrested or cited by
Commerce police during the
past week include:
•Joshua Werner Stover,
29, 294 Old Harden Orchard
Road, burglary, criminal
damage to property and
possession of a firearm by
a convicted felon. Stover is
accused of stealing parts
from a Honda motorcycle at
a residence on Old Harden
Orchard Road, entering the
house and stealing a laptop
computer, a video game,
a rifle, a shotgun, two car
tires, a revolver, a pellet rifle
and various ammunition
for the guns. The report did
not indicate how Stover was
arrested, but it said the victim
suspected his neighbors of
the theft.
•Mitchell Dale Clark, 32,
and Angela Mae Patrick, 36,
both of 634 Madison Street
Extension, shoplifting. They
are charged with stealing gro
ceries from Quality Foods,
Maysville Road, from which
a witness provided a vehicle
description and a tag num
ber and the store provided
a copy of security camera
footage. Police quickly locat
ed the vehicle at the cou
ple’s address. The report
said Patrick gave another
name, and dispatch revealed
that both suspects had out
standing warrants. All of the
food items were recovered.
Both are being held on the
warrants, and police also
charged Patrick with giving
false information to police.
• Demetria Dena Franklin,
41, 360 Kathryn Lane, Com
merce, DUI-multiple sub
stances and violation of the
open container law. Franklin
flagged down an officer on
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at
3:34 a.m. as she passed him,
then backed up, weaving on
the roadway. According to
the arrest report, she began
asking the officer about a
narcotics search the night
before and exhibited signs of
intoxication. The report said
Franklin admitted “smoking
some weed,” but taking no
other medications, and said
she consumed alcohol earli
er in the evening. After police
charged her, they found evi
dence of crack cocaine use,
the report said, along with
cups containing alcoholic
beverages.
• Undrayus Ahkino
Laboon, 24, 650 Ridgeway
Road, Commerce, misde
meanor possession of mar
ijuana, possession of a fire
arm during the commission
of a crime and possession
of a controlled substance.
An officer responding to the
Ridgeway Apartments for a
noise complaint reportedly
smelled marijuana, saw piec
es of marijuana on Laboon’s
clothing and saw other
drug-related items in the
apartment through a partially
open door. After getting a
search warrant, police found
two bags of marijuana, a pair
of handguns, digital scales
and a prescription bottle
containing Tylenol/codeine.
•Ricky Curtis Ginn, 52,
157 Cotton Street, failure to
maintain a lane and mis
demeanor possession of
marijuana. An officer pulled
the vehicle over on Cotton
Street after observing it not
maintaining a lane. Upon
approaching Ginn, the offi
cer said he noticed a strong
odor of burnt marijuana
coming from inside the vehi
cle. The report said Ginn
told him he had not smoked
marijuana in a long time and
that there was none on his
person. However, when the
officer searched the vehicle,
he reported finding a mari
juana cigarette in the ashtray
and several other marijuana
cigarettes in a bottle.
•Kevin Curtis Hall, 43,
412 Water Plant Road, Com
merce, public drunken
ness and making harassing
phone calls. The arrest came
as an officer responded to
Northridge Medical Center
where he found Hall on the
phone with 911 complaining
that he needed to get back
into the building after anoth
er officer had ordered him
out. The harassing phone
calls charge came when he
refused to end a call to 911,
and police charged him with
public drunkenness for curs
ing police.
• James Paul Eller, 59,
135 Matthews Road, Toccoa,
picked up from a Hart Coun
ty deputy on an unspecified
Commerce warrant.
• Anthony Oneal Hall,
43, 112 Brayberry Court,
Athens, driving with a sus
pended driver’s license and
with defective equipment.
The charges came after
an officer pulled a vehicle
over for a cracked or bro
ken windshield. Dispatch
advised that Hall’s license
was suspended for failure
to appear and child support
obligations.
• Jose Jesus Gayton-More-
no, 35, 1621 Oak Road, Snell-
ville, speeding and driving
with a suspended driver’s
license. An officer stopped
him for doing 78 miles per
hour in a 55-mph speed zone
on U.S. 441 South. According
to the arrest report, Moreno
advised that he had no valid
license. Dispatch confirmed
that it was suspended.
Banks County arrests
Two charged with simple
Two people were arrested
last week by the Banks Coun
ty Sheriff’s Office on simple
battery charges stemming
from separate domestic inci
dents.
The two arrested were:
Charlotte Marie Boyd, 25,370
Chigger Ridge Road, Carnes-
ville; and Travis Lee Charles,
32, 295 Highway 184 East,
Toccoa,.
Other Charges
Others arrested or cited
recently include:
•Joseph Tyler Ewing,
20, 819 Russ Rumsey Road,
Maysville, possession of
methamphetamine.
• Robert Weldon Emer
son, 28, 289 Highway 164,
Commerce, driving while
driver’s license is suspended
or revoked.
battery
•Jeremiah Charles Wil
liams, 20, 201 Washington
Street, Atlanta, failure to
appear.
•Ivan Espinoza, 32, 2134
Crossing Place, Commerce,
possession of methamphet
amine.
Baldwin Police Department
Baldwin police arrest 2
lackson County courts
Court sentences three
The Baldwin Police Depart
ment reports two arrests
during the past week. Those
arrested and their charges
were:
• Jovani Esau Cevallos, 42,
2173 Luna Lane, Gainesville,
driving while unlicensed or
on an expired driver’s license.
• Claude Randall Ferguson,
50, 1035 Washboard Road,
Cleveland, criminal trespass.
INCIDENTS
The police department also
responded to the following
incidents:
•traffic stop on Industrial
Boulevard, where the 22-year-
old driver of a 2007 Saturn
Aura was cited for not having
valid automobile insurance.
•criminal trespass at a
Walden Street residence
where a theft was reported.
•burglary at a Davis Drive
residence.
• burglary at a Park Avenue
residence.
Three people were sentenced in recent Superior Court of
Jackson County proceedings. They are:
• Leslie Ann Ankrich, possession of methamphetamine with
intent to distribute — three years in jail, seven years probation,
$1,500 fine.
•Jeremy Adam Whitfield, fleeing and attempting to elude
a law enforcement officer, driving under the influence (DUI),
theft by shoplifting, reckless driving, driving with a suspend
ed license, driving on the wrong side of the road, failure to
maintain lane, passing in a no-passing zone, driving too fast for
conditions and failure to maintain a lane — three years in an
in-house drug treatment program, $1,000 fine.
• Daniel Craig Vandeford, battery simple assault and false
report of a crime —12 months probation, restitution, $1,000 fine.
CAROLYN
HOOPER
FOR
PROBATE JUDGE
25 Years of Experience
in the Banks and Hall County court systems
The Experience To Serve
%
ARNELL % DESI0<S Ask abmt
EMORIALS ] gfZl
purchase.
An MBD Enterprises Co.
Serving this community since 1962.
Office located at 220 Hwy. 441 S.
in Commerce, GA. 706-335-4066
Hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday By appointment only • Closed Sunday
**We accept M/C, Visa and offer a lay-a-way plan.
lackson County arrests
14 arrested for
probation violation
Of the 41 arrests made by the Jackson County Sheriff’s
Office last week, 14 were for probation violation.
Those charged with probation violation were:
• Charles Richard Grindle, 50,134 Church Road, Braselton.
•William F. Rogers, 51, no address available.
•Anthony Thomas Watkins, 32, 1051 Athens Street, Jeffer
son.
• Seth Andrew Mackinnon, 23, no address available.
• Tommy Louis Garcia Jr., 48,716 Peachtree Road, Jefferson.
• Alfred Vernard Gillespie, 42,5428 South Apple Valley Road,
Jefferson.
• Betty Sue Crick, 51,148 Lays Drive, Winder.
•Justin Brian Fowler, 27,506 Ty Cobb Street, Royston.
• Robert Eugene Huff, 48,23 Huff Hill Road, Commerce.
•Julia Elizabeth Lunsford, 36, 133 Hightower Church Road,
Dahlonega.
• Kara Leigh Rickard, 38,6080 Mt. Vernon Road, Murrayville.
• Aubrey Franklin Arnold, 35,684 J.T. Elrod Road, Athens.
•Willie Tyrone Smith, 48,1904 Plantation Road, Lawrencev-
ille.
• Matthew Tyler Stone, 23,174 Pine Street, Danielsville.
Other Arrests
Others arrested or cited during the past week were:
• Holly Nicole Allen, 25,139 Shortcut Road, Nicholson, viola
tion of the mandatory education for children law.
• Brandon Odarius Barnett, 23, 125 Broad Acres, Athens,
failure to appear.
• Ben Eugene Baughcum, 44,276 Nathaniel Drive, Jefferson,
possession of methamphetamine and a turning violation.
•Johnny Henry Casteel, 53, 2720 Doster Road, Madison,
reckless conduct.
•Josephine Louise Sapp, 31, 188 Gilbert Road, Jefferson,
terroristic threats and acts and pedestrian under the influence.
• Brandon James Allison, 24,2587 Sullens Road, Gainesville,
bench warrant.
•Joey Preston Matthews, 56, 352 Cabin Creek Drive, Nich
olson, battery.
•Bridget Michelle Boykin, 34, 306 West Jefferson Street,
Hoschton, driving with a suspended driver’s license.
•Kevin Glen Jones, 26, 2426 Boleman Road, Gainesville,
theft by shoplifting.
•Andrew Joseph Scott, 17,127 Richmond Way Commerce,
simple battery.
•James Ernie Hendrix, 39, 404 Glenn Abby Lane, Pend
ergrass, a tire violation and violation of Georgia Controlled
Substances Act.
•Joseph Scott Hewell, 20,437 Wages Bridges Road, Athens,
obstruction, loitering and possession of marijuana.
•Stephanie Lekisha Lundy 36, 447 Twisting Ridge Trail,
Demorest, prescription drugs not in original container, posses
sion of a Schedule II controlled substance and giving a false
name to a law enforcement officer.
• Nicholas Tom Seeley 36,149 Pine Ridge Place, Nicholson,
driving with a suspended driver’s license.
• Daniel Mark Brumbalow, 32, 5708 Wayne Drive, Flowery
Branch, entering an automobile, theft by taking and burglary.
•James Paul Eller, 59, 135 Matheson Drive, Toccoa, failure
to appear.
•Jose Munoz Navarro, 18, 124 Kim Chase Road, Athens,
driving without a valid license and following too closely.
• Carmona Ignacio Cruz, 39,302 New Liberty Church Road,
Braselton, obstruction of an officer and public drunkenness.
• Robert Weldon Emerson, 28, 289 Hwy. 164, Commerce,
cruelty to children and aggravated assault.
• Dana Anessa Rutherford, 37, 4209 New Horizon Drive,
Loganville, driving without a valid license and a brake light
violation.
• Sundown L. Walker, 37,3381 Shady Creek Court, Jefferson,
criminal trespass.
• Leif Cameron Yaple, 25, 22 North Main Street, Maysville,
criminal trespass and possession of methamphetamine.
•Benjamin Joel Babcock, 32, 194 Riley Road, Jefferson,
failure to appear.
•Victor Burgos-Cortez, 45, 1465 Hwy. 29, Athens, driving
without a valid license.
•Caleb Alexander Saavedra, 21, 121 Hunters Ridge Lane,
Nicholson, failure to stop for stop sign and reckless driving.
• Nathaniel Scott Wilson, 31, 70 Dove Trail, Hoschton, crimi
nal damage to property.
•Krystyn Dawnique Young, 27, 1311 Montrose Parkway
Peachtree City driving with a suspended driver’s license.
Banks County
Sheriff’s Office
Anonymous
Tip Line
678-780-1227
Banks-Jackson Risk Reduction DUI School
1728 North Broad Street, Commerce, State Certified 5010, 2007 and 631
706-336-6777
Next Defensive Driving Class
will be held on April 23, 2016
Next DUI Class begins on April 30, 2016
Driver Education 30-Hour Day Class
will be June 6 - 9. Driving time-flexible.