BanksNewsTODAY

Lula Mayor Pro-Tem Vicky Chambers was seriously injured in a two-car wreck on Saturday, Jan. 10, in Hall County.

Chambers’ Toyota Sienna Van was hit head-on by the driver of a Honda Accord on Joe Chandler Road near Brock Road.

Chambers has already had two surgeries and is still in intensive care at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville.

A female passenger in Chambers’ vehicle was also injured and transported to the hospital as was the driver of the other vehicle.

The Baldwin Police Department is investigating the report of an armed robbery that occurred Thursday evening.

Police chief Chad Nichols said officers were called to Citizen Finance of Cornelia, off the 441 Bypass, at 7:27 p.m. in reference to an armed robbery.

“Upon the officers arrival to the scene, they found the victim unharmed and inside the business,” Nichols said.
The suspect had fled the scene on foot with approximately $2,000 in cash taken from the business during the robbery.

The victim was able to provide a description of the suspect.

Nicholson said the suspect was described as a white male approximately six feet tall with long hair pulled back into a ponytail with light colored eyes and a dragon tattoo on his left forearm and a smaller tattoo below that, wearing a black in color shirt. The suspect might possibly have tattoos on his neck as well.
Officers with the Cornelia Police Department, Alto Police Department and the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office responded to provide backup and assistance in searching the area for the suspect.

Nichols said, “ The Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division processed the scene and is assisting in the investigation.”

Anyone with any information related to the case is urged to call the Baldwin Police Department at 706-776-5256 or the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at 706-839-1724.

At approximately 3:45 p.m. today, Banks County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a report of a home invasion on Mount Sinai Road in Lula. Shortly thereafter, a Banks County 9-1-1 call was dispatched out regarding a burglary on Highway 98 in Homer.

“The descriptions that were reported at both scenes by witnesses were similar,” said Sgt. Carissa M. McFaddin, OPS/PIO. “A BOLO was then forwarded to surrounding counties.”

Hall County deputies located a vehicle matching the description in the Lula area and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. This led to a pursuit, which ended shortly due to the driver losing control of the vehicle.
Both the driver, Tommy Woodruff, 34, and the passenger, Debby Bostick, 37, were taken into custody and transported to the Banks County Law Enforcement Center to face felony charges.

Additional felony charges are pending through the Hall County Sheriff's Department stemming from the vehicle pursuit.

The Baldwin Police Department charged a Demorest woman after she left four kids in a van.

On Monday, August 4, at approximately 4 p.m., officers with the Baldwin Police Department were dispatched to the parking lot of the Heritage Garden Apartments in reference to four children left in a vehicle unattended.

Officers found four children ranging from ages four months to six years in the vehicle alone. The vehicle was found not running with both front windows down.

Officers on the scene and the requested EMS personnel assessed the condition of the children and requested the assistance of the Department of Family and Childrens Services.

Officers made contact with a 20-year-old female identified as Kagney Nicole Ledford, the driver of the van, who told officers that she had only left the children alone for approximately ten minutes while visiting a friend at the apartments.
Two of the children belonged to Ledford and the two other children she was babysitting for a family member.

After further investigation Ledford was charged with creating hazardous or offensive conditions, violation of handicapped parking and safety restraint violations.

Ledford was transported and turned over to the Habersham County Detention Center for booking. The Department of Family and Childrens Services took charge of the placement of the children.

The Banks County Sheriff’s Office was advised this morning at 5:04 a.m. from Atlanta Police Department that a wanted suspect from Banks County had been taken into custody.

Chester Thomas Akins, 45, 419 Purcell Road, Homer, was being sought after in regards to criminal damage to property under the Family Violence Act (3 felony counts) and theft by taking (1 count).

The warrants derived from an event that occurred on June 15, 2014, at Akins’ residence. Akins advised his girlfriend that a “bomb” had been placed in the area of their home.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation EOD team and Hall County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Detection K9 Team was requested to the scene and cleared the area.

Sgt. Carissa M. McFaddin said, “While on the scene, deputies did observe the residence along with several belongings in the house to be damaged or destroyed. Akins’ girlfriend had also reported Akins had taken several things from the residence.”

Any questions regarding Akins and the incident of today should be directed to the Atlanta Police Department.

Nine people accused of running an elaborate multi-million dollar money laundering and drug-trafficking operation in Maysville have been arrested.

Banks County authorities said on Wednesday, June 4, the nine accused have been indicted on charges of violating the Georgia Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (R.I.C.O.) Act for offenses involving the sale and distribution of prescription medication and money laundering in the north Georgia region.

According to a press release on Wednesday, from the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, the criminal ring is suspected of operating in the area for several years. The head of the operation is believed to be Brian William Craig of Maysville. Craig is currently serving a 12-year sentence with the Georgia Department of Corrections for drug violations out of Hall County.
Banks County Sheriff Carlton Speed said, “Agents of the Appalachian Drug Task Force and deputies from our office conducted a search warrant at the home of Brian and Amanda Craig on January 9 of this year. Several pieces of valuable evidence and proceeds of the crimes were seized, leaving the investigators to follow a long and exhausting paper trail ever since.”

“The investigators involved have conducted multiple search warrants on doctor’s offices over the past several months. Numerous people have been interviewed and a lot of time has gone into the investigation in regards to tracking the evidence against those involved,” Speed added.
Late last month, the District Attorney’s Office for the Piedmont Judicial Circuit and agents of the Appalachian Drug Task Force presented the facts of the case to a Banks County Grand Jury. Each of the accused individuals was indicted on eight counts of the Georgia R.I.C.O. Act.

Task force agents and deputies of the Banks County Sheriff’s Office carried out the arrests after receiving the bench warrants from the Piedmont Superior Court.

As of the time of the press release, those indicted were:
•Brian William Craig, Maysville
•Maggie Jeannette Craig, Homer
•Amanda Elaine Craig, Maysville
•Justin David Hollis, Toccoa
•Alford Quinton Childs, Nicholson
•Anthony Shane Crumley, Maysville
•Robert Joseph Fields, Lula
•John David Clark, Cleveland
•Devon Cain Ledford, Commerce
The bond was set at $20,000 for each person indicted.

Speed said, “This has been a great example of the reasoning behind us (BCSO) joining a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) commanded task force. They have the expertise and resources that an agency of out size cannot afford on our own.”

One person was taken into custody on Wednesday and officers with the Banks County Sheriff’s Office confiscated approximately 2.2 lbs. of suspected methamphetamine during a drug operation conducted Wednesday afternoon.

The operation, conducted around 3 p.m., started at a restaurant in the Banks Crossing area and moved to the area between Pritchett Tire and Boots Etc.

A second person fled the scene. Officers searched the area with K-9s, but were not able to locate this person.

BCSO chief deputy Shawn Wilson said two Hispanic males delivered the drugs and while one conducted the deal the other left the scene.

“We think he possibly had a cell phone and was able to call someone and he is out of the area,” Wilson said.

Wilson said at this time officers are working to obtain the identification of the male taken into custody and to check with ICE to see if he is a legal immigrant. Officers are also working to obtain the identity of the male who fled the scene.

When asked if the drugs were coming into Banks County or intended to go out to other areas, Wilson said, “All I can say is the drug is directly tied to this area.”
[Full Story »] 

A high-speed chase Tuesday afternoon that ended in Franklin County with one dead and two injured began in Banks County.

Banks County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Shawn Wilson said at approximately 1:50 p.m. BCSO officers observed a car containing three occupants, traveling north bound on Interstate 85 at Exit 149 – Banks Crossing.

“The car was paced at approximately 95 m.p.h. and continued at a high rate of speed even after entering a Department of Transportation construction zone,” Wilson said. “Officers activated their emergency lights and siren, but the driver refused to sop and actually accelerated reaching speeds in excess of 100 m.p.h.”

The driver entered Franklin County, and shortly thereafter, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol took over the pursuit until the driver crashed around Exit 175.

One passenger in the car died at the scene, the driver sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Greenville Memorial Hospital, and a second passenger was transported to Ty Cobb Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Wilson said the identities of the driver and passengers are being withheld pending investigation and notification of family members of the person killed.

The accident shut down the north bound lanes of I-85 for several hours.

Three people with Florida addresses were arrested on Saturday afternoon for their part in “till tapping” at Walmart, Commerce.

According to the report on file at the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, Mike Marks, 78, 8010 Colony Circle 105, Tamarac, Fla., Richard Lee Mitchell, 57, 2017 South Ocean Drive, Holandell, Fla., and Tiffany Mitchell, 18, 8010 Colony Circle 105, Tamarac, Fla., each face charges of party to a crime – robbery. Marks and R. Mitchell are also charges with obstructing or hindering a law enforcement officer.

A warrant was taken for a fourth person, a 55-year-old female, in connection with the crime and a female juvenile that was with the group was placed in foster care by a Banks County Department of Family & Children Services caseworker that was called to the scene. [Full Story »]