Latest news with #O.C.G.A
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
RCSO: Deputy justified in officer-involved shooting
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – The Richmond County Sheriff's Office said a deputy in the officer-involved shooting in front of Glenn Hills Middle School on March 13 was justified in his actions following an independent review. RCSO stated Deputy David S. Hopkins, who was placed on paid administrative leave on March 14, 'acted lawfully and within policy during last week's officer-involved shooting.' In a press release on Monday, RCSO released a clearance letter from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office's Regional Force Investigation. 'The use of deadly force was justified under O.C.G.A. 16-3-21. The investigation has revealed that Deputy David Hopkins did not violate the Official Criminal Code of Georgia,' the letter from Columbia County Sheriff's Office states. RCSO said it plans to release a full video of the incident on Tuesday, March 18 in an effort to show transparency. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
3 sentenced to Georgia prison for roles in series of smash and grab burglaries, RICO Act violations
Three members of what law enforcement officers called an international theft ring entered guilty pleas to a string of commercial burglaries and will each spend more than a decade in prison. According to the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office, Maykel Olides Hernandez, Javier Guerra-Morales and Giorge Navea each pled guilty to their roles in a series of crimes across several metro Atlanta counties, including Cherokee, Cobb, Forsyth and Fulton counties, and Knox County, Tenn. The three were accused of committing five burglaries from December 2022 to March 2023. Channel 2 Action News covered when Hernandez, Guerra-Morales and Navea were arrested in August 2023 by Forsyth County deputies. According to officers at the time, detectives determined that the three men were part of an active South American theft group and similar groups and had targeted several homes and businesses for smash and grabs. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway says all three pled guilty to violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, as well as multiple smash and grab burglary, theft and property damage charges. 'These defendants worked together in a coordinated effort, with a clear plan to target specific jewelry stores and steal valuable merchandise. Although four of the stores they burglarized were outside of Cherokee County, we were able to charge the defendants under Georgia's RICO Act,' Treadaway said in a statement. 'Law enforcement partners from multiple agencies played a crucial role in this case, enabling Cherokee County to combat organized retail crime within our jurisdiction and beyond.' TRENDING STORIES: Man accused of buying students luxury gifts, trying to enroll in school now facing charges Jonesboro mayor resigns as council calls for audit of city's finances Ban on school traffic cameras passes Georgia House, heads to Senate for approval The DA's office said that the investigation determined that the defendants had taken their stolen merchandise, burgled from several jewelry stores, and sold them in Florida to be melted down and resold. Collectively, officials said thefts from a store in Canton and another in Alpharetta yielded about $1.7 million in stolen goods. The three were ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution, based on damage to the stores, the stolen merchandise and insurance deductibles, and were banned from Cherokee County and from contacting each other. Hernandez, Guerra-Morales and Navea were sentenced to: Maykel Olides Hernandez, 40, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea on Feb. 27 and was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Tony Baker to 30 years, with the first 13 years in confinement. As a recidivist offender pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 17-10-7 (a) and (c), Hernandez will be required to serve the entire prison portion of his sentence without parole eligibility. Javier Guerra-Morales, 33, entered a negotiated guilty plea on Feb. 27 and was sentenced to 20 years, with the first 9 years in confinement. Giorge Navea, 35, entered a negotiated guilty plea on March 5 and was sentenced to 25 years, with the first 10 years in confinement. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Descendants of slaves buried in Johns Creek cemetery worry more graves exist
Channel 2 Action News first reported about Macedonia African Methodist Church cemetery two years ago. Now, historians are asking the city to conduct more testing to find unmarked graves before selling the property. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Historian Kirk Canaday has made it his mission to make sure the legacy of slaves buried in a wooded lot on Medlock Bridge Road doesn't get forgotten. 'Instead of preserving, the city has basically desecrated,' Canaday told Channel 2′s investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln. Canday says the City of John's Creek hasn't kept its end of the bargain after acquiring the Macedonia African Methodist Church Cemetery by eminent domain in 2020. The city purchased the two-acre property for $52,000 in an effort to preserve the graves after reports of vandalism. 'The older part of this cemetery doesn't have headstones; a lot of these folks went into the ground without the benefit of a casket,' Canaday said. TRENDING STORIES: DeKalb teacher caught on camera vaping in classroom South Gwinnett High transforms culture by moving desks into hallways 2 dead in shooting near Atlanta tire shop Canaday says after the sale, the city told the John's Creek Historical Society it would do proper testing to locate unmarked graves. 'They said we didn't have to do any of the archaeological, genealogical and notify the descendants because we're not going to sell it, we're going to develop it, protect it,' said Canaday. And now he fears the testing will never happen after the city announced plans to sell the cemetery. 'They haven't held up their end of the bargain,' he said. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] There are at least 53 marked graves and dozens of unmarked graves. Canaday believes many are outside of the property line near neighboring homes. 'I think it was maybe 100 to 150 more graves than what you're talking about,' Canaday said. The city of Johns Creek told Lincoln it took over the property in 2020 because it was in severe disrepair due to vandals and items being dumped on the site. Since 2021, the city says it's maintained the grounds and added fencing. It's also hired consultants and completed its strategic plan. It continued in a statement, in part saying: The City has realized it can never give the cemetery the same amount of love that the descendants of those buried there could. In keeping with the options allowable under State Law (O.C.G.A. § 36-37-6 (a) and (f)), the City decided to seek input from the families of those buried in the cemetery, the larger Johns Creek community, and any other party that may be interested in purchasing the property to further preserve and protect the cemetery. The City has directly emailed known descendants and potentially interested organizations, placed an advertisement in the local newspaper, posted a sign on the property, and placed a notice on the City website asking any individual or organization to share their interest and present any written plan regarding the future preservation and protection of the Cemetery no later than Monday, April 7, 2025. Of note, any sale of the cemetery will not change the protected status of the cemetery nor the right of the heirs of those buried in the cemetery to access the cemetery. The grave sites and the headstones continue to be the property of their descendants.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Six charged with sexual exploitation of children during 'Operation: Anvil Strike'
BEDFORD, Va. (WFXR) – The Bedford County Sheriff's Office has made several out-of-state arrests after the operation, 'Operation: Anvil Strike' to identify online sexual predators. The sheriff said that in October 2024, a multi-day undercover operation known as 'Operation: Anvil Strike' was carried out by the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. During the operation, law enforcement arrested individuals from states including South Carolina, Florida, New York, and Georgia who were allegedly engaged in the online sexual exploitation of children. Investigators and attorneys from the Bedford County Sheriff's Office, the Campbell County Sheriff's Office, the Lynchburg Police Department, the Amherst County Sheriff's Office, and the Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office participated in this operation. Danville officer shot during shootout with suspect on Riverside Drive identified As a result of this undercover operation, the following individuals were arrested John H. Parker, 66, of Ulster County, New York. Parker was a registered sex offender in New York, having prior convictions related to promotion/possession of a sexual performance by a child (from 2012), and attempted sexual abuse in the 1st degree of a 15-year-old female (from 1993). He was extradited back to Bedford on felony charges of: One (1) count of COV 18.2-374.1:1, knowingly possessing /distributing child pornography with intent to distribute, first offense Nine (9) counts of COV 18.2-374.1:1, knowingly possessing/distributing child pornography with intent to distribute, second or subsequent offenses Kenneth Clinton Frazier, 29, was arrested in Georgia, with the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation ICAC Task Force and the Cobb County Police Department. Frazier was charged and will be prosecuted in Georgia for: Thirteen (13) counts of O.C.G.A. Section 16-12-100(b)(8) – Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Felony)Ten (10) counts of O.C.G.A. Section 16-12-100.1 – Furnishing Obscene Materials to a Minor by Computer (Misdemeanor)One (1) count O.C.G.A. Section 16-12-100.2(e)(1) – Computer Pornography (Obscene Contact) (Felony)Three (3) counts of O.C.G.A. Section 16-4-1 FEL – Criminal Attempt (Felony)One (1) count of O.C.G.A. Section 16-12-100.3 – Obscene Telephone Child (Misdemeanor) One (1) count of O.C.G.A. Section 16-6-5 – Enticing Child (Felony) Ryan Hunter Gipson, 34, was arrested in Greene County, Missouri, with the assistance of the Greene County Sheriff's Office and the Missouri ICAC Task Force. Gipson was extradited back to Bedford on the following felony charges: One (1) count of COV 18.2-374.3, use of a communications system to facilitate certain offenses involving children, first offense One (1) count of COV 18.2-374.3, use of a communications system to facilitate certain offenses involving children, second or subsequent offense Julio Angel Roman, 56, of Miramar, Florida, was arrested by the Miramar Police Department and Broward County Sheriff's Office South Florida ICAC Task Force. At the time of his arrest, Roman was employed as a civilian employee of the Miramar Fire Department. He was charged and will be prosecuted on the following felony charges in Florida: Three (3) counts of FLS 847.0138-3, Transmission of material harmful to minors by electronic device or equipment Thomas Angelina, 35, of Rhode Island was arrested in Providence, Rhode Island, with assistance by the Rhode Island State Police ICAC Task Force. Angelina was charged and extradited for prosecution in Bedford on the following felony charges: One (1) count COV 18.2-374.3, Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children Nine (9) counts COV 18.2-374.3, Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children, second or subsequent offenses James Revels, 65, of South Carolina, was arrested in Beaufort, South Carolina, with the assistance of the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, a member of the South Carolina ICAC Task Force. An ongoing investigation into Revels continues in South Carolina, and the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office asks anyone with additional information about Revels to contact them at (843)255-3421. Revels was arrested and is awaiting extradition for prosecution in Bedford on the following charges: One (1) count COV 18.2-374.3, Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children Three (3) counts COV 18.2-374.3, Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children, second or subsequent offenses 'As the internet removes physical and geographical boundaries when interacting with others, it is not uncommon for people to communicate with others from across the state, country, and world. If offenses occurred in multiple jurisdictions, locations for prosecution are considered based on charges and local laws, and which location will likely produce the most impactful sentencing if found guilty. In instances where another jurisdiction and agency will accept the case referral and prosecute locally, the suspect will be arrested and charged there. For cases where it is determined that the suspect will likely receive a stiffer sentence in Virginia, the suspect is extradited here for prosecution. The Southern Virginia ICAC Task Force and its member agencies are committed to investigating and bringing to justice those intent on exploiting children. As all investigations are still ongoing, no additional info will be released at this time. If anyone has any information related to any investigation into any of these suspects, please contact the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force through the Bedford Sheriff's Office at 434-534-9521 x238.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
