PAGE 6A - THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2025
Crime
Two individuals charged during MC traffic stop
By Sharon Hogan
On Monday, March 3, Mad
ison County Sheriff’s Office
deputies conducted a traffic
stop on SR 72 at Timber Ridge
Ln., Colbert, on a vehicle want
ed in connection with a theft by
taking at The Home Depot in
Oconee County.
The driver of the vehicle,
Ashley Kristina Rhoades, 36,
Freemans Creek Rd., Bishop,
was charged with acquiring
license plate for purpose of
concealing identification of
motor vehicle, driving while
driver’s license is suspended
or revoked, failure to register
vehicle and no proof of valid
insurance - motor vehicle.
The passenger, Charles
Ramen Coppeak, 26, Youth
Monroe Rd., Loganville, was
charged with possession of
methamphetamine.
OTHER ARRESTS
The following arrests were
also on file at the MCSO last
week:
•Patrick Lee Boyd, 44, Noble
Rd., Carlton, probation viola
tion.
•Jeffery Scott Caudle, 30,
Longstreet Rd., Alpharetta,
probation violation.
•Malik Jay Shawn Cisneros,
27, Brewer Blvd. SW, Atlanta,
probation violation.
•Robert Arron Hendrix, 28,
Hwy. 82 South, Jefferson, was
charged with expired driver’s
license, no valid insurance and
probation violation during a
traffic stop on Duncan Swindle
Rd. at Hwy. 98, Commerce.
•Jacob Ellijah Jones, 30, New
Town Rd., Washington, was
charged with brake lights and
taillight requirement, drugs not
in original container, posses
sion of marijuana, possession
and use of drug-related objects,
possession of a Schedule I Con
trolled Substance, three counts
possession of a Schedule IV
Controlled Substance, posses
sion of methamphetamine and
windshields and windshield
wipers violation during a traf
fic stop on Hwy. 98 East at
Madison St., Danielsville.
•Timothy Robert Parham, 57,
Calls Creek Ct., Watkinsville,
faces a charge of possession of
a Schedule I Controlled Sub
stance after he was reportedly
inside Neese Grocery, Hwy.
106 Soth, Danielsville, acting
strange and would not leave.
•Shannon Crystal Ridgeway,
44, Steele Rd., Comer, sentenc
ing.
•Terry Dwayne Sayne, 53,
Autry Rd., Gainesville, hold
for Hall County.
•Samantha Marie Smith, 27,
Timberlane Dr., Danielsville,
faces charges of possession of
cocaine, possession of meth
amphetamine, probation vio
lation and three counts willful
obstruction of law enforcement
officers by use of threats or
violence when she was found
trespassing at a home on Osley
Mill Trl., Carlton.
•Kyle Oliver Thomas, 33,
Colbert Danielsville Rd., Col
bert, simple battery - Family
Violence Act (FVA).
•Perry Allen Turner, 47, Ju
niper Ln., Athens, in for court
and theft by taking.
•Christine Jepsen Ahern, 55,
Whisperwood Ln., Athens,
Driving Under the Influence
(DUI) of alcohol and failure
to maintain lane/weaving over
roadway.
•Michael Dean Bledsoe, 34,
Wells Rd., Knoxville, Tennes
see, in for court.
•Kaden Aaron Burroughs,
20, Neese Commerce Rd.,
Commerce, DUI - alcohol
under the age of 21, failure to
maintain lane/weaving over
roadway and tag light illumi
nation required.
•Evan Richard Crumley, 25,
Ila Rd., Commerce, DUI - al
cohol, failure to change ad
dress on driver’s license, fail
ure to maintain lane/weaving
over roadway, open container
in vehicle and too fast for con
ditions.
•Arturo Denova-Gonzalez,
44, Madison Ave., Colbert, was
charged with driving without a
valid driver’s license and fail
ure to maintain lane/weaving
over roadway during a traffic
stop on Ga. 72 at Hardman
Morris Rd., Danielsville.
•Todd Davis Dollar, 21,
Washington St., Jefferson, DUI
- alcohol.
•Taylor Marie Freeman, 26,
Blacks Creek Church Rd.,
Danielsville, faces charges of
possession of a Schedule II
Controlled Substance, posses
sion of methamphetamine and
speeding (16-25 miles over)
during a traffic stop on Hwy.
106 at Ben Crawford Rd., Hull.
•Donna Carol Goss, 61, Col
lege St., Royston, housed for
Royston Police Department.
•Marquez Dante Johnson,
27, Jot-Em Down Rd., Dan
ielsville, probation violation.
•Hector Jorge Morales, 31,
Hwy. 191, Danielsville, driv
ing while driver’s license is
suspended or revoked.
•Joshua John Seip, 38, South
5th St., Colbert, hold for Clarke
County.
•Dylan Ryan Smith, 19,
Spratlin Dr., Jefferson, DUI -
alcohol and violation of win
dow tint law.
•Franklin Alexander Smoth
ers, 41, New Town Church
Rd., Carlton, was charged with
DUI - alcohol, hit and run;
duty of driver to stop at or re
turn to scene of accident, open
container in vehicle, reckless
driving, speeding (16-25 miles
over) and turning position; sig
nals required during a traffic
stop on Hwy. 72 West at North
2nd St., Colbert.
•Ashley Marie Wilkerson,
41, Hwy. 98 West, Commerce,
criminal damage to property.
State House sends two
speed camera bills to Senate
Recent incidents
from around the county
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
The Georgia House of Representatives
passed two bills Tuesday aimed at rein
ing in abuses in the use of speed-detection
cameras in school zones.
One of the bills would ban the cameras
altogether, while a second would put re
strictions on the use of the cameras with
out prohibiting them.
House Bill 225, the legislation repeal
ing the cameras, passed the House 129-37,
seven years after the General Assembly
first authorized their use.
“Operation of these cameras has not im
proved public safety but become a highly
profitable revenue stream for private cor
porations and local governments,” said
Rep. Dale Washbum, R-Macon, the bill’s
chief sponsor.
Washbum also argued the use of
speed-detection cameras in school zones is
unfair because there’s no way for motor
ists to contest a ticket.
The second measure, House Bill 651,
takes a less dramatic approach. It would
limit the hours speed cameras could be op
erated to two hours in the morning before
school starts and two hours in the after ¬
noon after school lets out.
The cameras would have to be accom
panied by flashing signs that would warn
motorists when they’re driving too fast
through a school zone.
Only half of the fines levied against vi
olators could be retained by the local gov
ernment, while the other half would have
to go to local schools to be used for safety
improvements.
“It ceases to be a revenue-driving device
for local governments,” said Rep. Alan
Powell, R-Hartwell, the bill’s chief spon
sor.
Powell’s bill also would give motorists
accused of speeding through school zones
based on evidence from a camera the right
to contest the ticket through the local
courts.
It’s unusual for a legislative chamber to
pass two bills on the same subject during
the same session. Powell said that was
done because the state Senate hasn’t been
willing to address speed-detection cameras
in the past.
“This House of Representatives is very
serious about dealing with this problem,”
he said. “We want to give them a second
choice.”
Georgia Senate moves to
enhance criminal penalties
for teens who threaten schools
By Ty Tagami
Capitol Beat News Service
Legislation that would
enhance criminal penalties
for students who threat
en their school passed the
Georgia Senate Thursday.
Senate Bill 61 was
pushed by Republicans
and passed 33-22 in a par
ty-line vote.
It would allow children
aged 13 to 17 to be tried as
adults for terroristic threat
ening. They could also
land in superior court for
attempting to commit, or
for conspiracy to commit,
terroristic threatening.
The legislation also
would allow prosecutors
to move other serious
crimes into superior court,
including aggravated as
sault with a gun or armed
robbery.
SB 61 is among several
measures GOP senators
have offered in reaction to
the mass shooting last fall
at Apalachee High School
in Barrow County.
The chief sponsor, Sen.
Greg Dolezal, R-Cum-
ming, called it a school
safety bill.
But Sen. Emanuel Jones,
D-Decatur, said he saw it
as criminalizing kids.
At a committee hearing
last week, critics said chil
dren’s brains are not frilly
developed and they some
times do “dumb things.”
If one of those things is
phoning a threat to their
school, it could land them
in superior court, with a
lifelong criminal record,
they said.
Senate Majority Leader
Steve Gooch, R-Dahlone-
ga, told reporters that SB
61 was necessary to con
front “heinous” crimes
like the mass shooting at
Apalachee High. He noted
that the legislation gives
prosecutors discretion
about whether to try chil
dren as adults.
“We just have to give the
district attorneys the tools
in order to protect the cit
izens of Georgia,” Gooch
said.
The bill now moves to
the Georgia House of Rep
resentatives.
Recent incidents investi
gated by the Madison Coun
ty Sheriff’s Office include:
•criminal trespass on
Hwy. 172, Comer, where a
man reported it appeared his
mailbox was egged.
•unresponsive overdose
on Holman Autry Rd., Dan
ielsville, where a man was
not breathing.
•a caller reported a naked
male walked onto the call
er’s property on Osley Mill
Rd., Carlton, and the caller
had the male an gunpoint.
•disabled vehicle “ping
ing” on Bud Freeman Rd.,
Royston.
•entering automobile on
Willis Glemi Rd., Hull,
where a woman reported
someone had entered her
vehicle and several items
were taken out of the center
console.
•suicide at a home on Mc-
Curley Rd., Danielsville,
where a male was found de
ceased.
•runaway juvenile at a
home on Woodpecker Pt.,
Danielsville.
•theft by taking and crim
inal trespass at a home on
Grady Dr., Hull, where a
woman reported finding her
door camera missing and
two of her tires flat.
•theft by taking on John
son Bridges Rd., Daniels
ville, where a man report
ed an unknown person had
stolen his portable sawmill
from under his pole barn.
•entering automobile on
Willis Glemi Rd., Hull,
where a woman reported
items had been taken out of
the center console and glove
box inside her vehicle and
strewn throughout the pas
senger compartment of the
vehicle.
•injured dog on Hwy.
98 West, Danielsville, dis
patched at the owner’s re
quest.
•theft by extortion on
Hope Dr., Danielsville,
where a man reported a
woman he sent nude pho
tos to requested he send her
money or she would send
the photos to his family.
The man advised he sent the
woman over $1,933.
•entering automobile on
Hwy. 98 West, Danielsville,
where a mechanic shop
owner found one of his cus
tomer’s vehicles had been
broken into.
•theft by deception on
Kellogg Dr., Colbert, where
a woman reported possible
bank fraud.
•theft by shoplifting at
Ace Hardware, Hwy. 72
East, Colbert, where a man
reportedly took a drill set
from the store without pay
ing.
•entering automobile on
Willis Glenn Rd., Hull,
where a woman reported
someone entered three un
attended and unlocked ve
hicles in her driveway and
a backpack containing vari
ous items, including a hand-
bag, was taken from one of
the vehicles.
•Life Alert pendant acti
vation responded to on Vir
ginia Ln., Hull, residence.
•terroristic threats and
acts and party to a crime
on Watson Dr., Hull, where
two juveniles were taken
into custody and transport
ed to a Regional Youtli De
tention Center.
•vehicle damaged on
Hwy. 106 Soufli at Stone
Stewart Rd., Danielsville.
•criminal trespassing
warning on Vineyards
Creek Churcli Rd., Daniels
ville.
Fun By The Numbers
7
co
1
3
5
5
9
4
8
2
1
8
6
4
3
9
1
2
8
9
7
5
6
•safety check point im
plemented on Gholston St.
at Brickyard Rd., Comer,
where 62 vehicles were
checked.
•burglary at a Lakeview
Cir., Danielsville, home,
where a man reported his
pistol had been taken from
his bedroom.
•battery and false impris
onment at the Kwik Shell,
Hwy. 29 South, Hull, where
one man reported being at
tacked by a second man.
•safety check point imple
mented on Sandford Rd. at
Nowhere Rd., Hull, where
31 vehicles were checked.
•criminal trespass at Fam
ily Dollar, Hwy. 29, Hull,
where a man was inside
the store knocking things
off the shelves and acting
strangely.
•battery/simple battery -
Family Violence Act (FVA)
on Colbert Danielsville Rd.,
Colbert, where a domestic
dispute between a man and
his girlfriend was reported.
SEX OFFENDER
- € ,
James Alvin
Chaney
Age 68
iit
Race: White Height: 5'07"
Sex: Male Weight: 174
Address: 1364 Poss Road
Comer, GA 30629
Charge: Child Molestation, Sexual
Battery against Child Under 16
Location of Conviction: Oglethorpe Co., GA
Date of Conviction: 07-09-2010
Employer: Johnson HVAC Electric
& Plumbing (Madison Co.)
