Oconee Blotter: Little mistakes lead numerous drivers to jail cells

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05-03-2025

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office reported the following incidents:
CHARGER STOPPED: On Feb. 20, Sgt. Lex Ogan was patrolling on Pete Dickens Road when he ran the tag on a 2007 Dodge Charger, which showed it had suspended registration and insurance. Upon stopping the car, the driver, a 36-year-old Decatur man, explained the car belonged to his girlfriend and he was unaware of its status. The deputy smelled marijuana and the man gave him an Arkansas Medical Marijuana card. The man's license, however, was suspended in Georgia and Arkansas, so he was arrested. After his arrest, some bags of marijuana were found in a backpack in the car.
SHOPLIFTER CAUGHT: On Feb. 22, Deputy Steven Heckler was dispatched to Walmart, where a 22-year-old Grovetown woman was seen by a loss prevention officer concealing items in her purse while she was in the pet department and again in the snack aisle. She paid for some Kool Aid, but not the other items that included shampoo, deodorant and Tylenol.
CHILD SUPPORT: On Feb. 23, Deputy Steven Heckler was dispatched to the parking lot of a shopping center at the Oconee Connector, where a man called about seeing a pink Dodge Charger that did not have a license plate. The deputy stopped the car and the driver, a 23-year-old Commerce man, was arrested for driving with a suspended license due to a child support problem. The car was released to the 22-year-old passenger after the deputy determined the car had a valid registration.
STEAK THEFT: On Feb. 23, Deputy M. Watson was dispatched to Walmart after a 55-year-old Watkinsville man was seen skip scanning merchandise and trying to leave the store before he was confronted. The man attempted to steal more than $90 worth of steaks, along with charcoal and Gatorade.
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WOMAN ARRESTED: On Feb. 24, Sgt. Lex Ogan was patrolling on Epps Bridge Parkway about 3:20 p.m. when he observed the driver of a Lincoln Town Car manipulating something in her lap. It appeared she was texting. He ran the license plate and the driver had a suspended license. A traffic stop was made and the woman was arrested on the driving violation.
NFL CARDS: On Feb. 25, Sgt. Lex Ogan was notified by loss prevention at Walmart that a repeat shoplifter had just left the store. Once again, the man had shoplifted NFL trading cards. He drove away in a Honda Civic, so Ogan checked the FLOCK system that reads car tags on the roadways and located the car and license number. He called the 32-year-old Athens man, who admitted he made a 'dumb decision.' Walmart showed the officer videos of the man shoplifting NFL cards twice on Feb. 22. He would take two packs, put them together and scan only one pack. The man then returned on Feb. 24 and stole more trading cards. The cards were valued at more than $200. Walmart wanted to prosecute, so Ogan called the man again and told him to report to the county jail where he would be served with warrants. The man did as told.
CELL PHONE: On Feb. 26, Deputy William Lewis was patrolling on Mars Hill Road when he observed a woman using a white cell phone. After a traffic stop, the Athens woman was arrested on a warrant from Clarke County. She was also given a citation for the cell phone violation.
TRIO OF SUSPECTS: On Feb. 22, Cpl. Jonathan Strum and four other deputies responded to a shoplifting at Walmart, where three men were being detained. The Morgan County men were observed stuffing merchandise into backpacks and tag swapping on other items. The men were working together in the crime as they tried to steal 73 items valued at more than $800. The suspects, ages 43, 33, and 27, all had Madison addresses. They were put in jail.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Motorist with pot has Arkansas Medical Marijuana card