Commissioner amends 2018 budget, creates account for sheriff’s office investigations
News May 20, 2018
HIAWASSEE, Ga.- On the evening of May 15, Towns County Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw announced a resolution to amend the 2018 budget, per abidance of Georgia Law, O.C.G.A. 36-81-3, which requires each unit of government to operate under an annual balanced budget, adopted by ordinance or resolution. The resolution includes a $22,152 shift in revenue, transferred from the Towns County Board of Education, into Towns County Sheriff’s Office capital expenditures. The amendment is the result of a Board of Education reimbursement of 75 percent, calculated from the cost of a patrol car purchased for the county’s school resource officer. Towns County Sheriff’s Office absorbed 25 percent of the expense.
“Donnie Jarrard, the DARE officer at the school, needed a new vehicle. He follows the ball teams – you know, baseball, basketball, football – all over the state of Georgia. When they play in Athens, (or) Monroe, he gets home at one, two, sometimes as late as three o’clock in the morning, unfortunately at times,” Bradshaw explained, “His car was starting to get a lot of problems, and it had a lot of miles on it, so I called the (Towns County School) Superintendent Darren Berrong.” Bradshaw went on to say that the cost of the new vehicle was discussed with Berrong, and a decision to divide the expense was agreed upon, based on the 75/25 ratio that the school board and sheriff’s office expend to employ the school resource officer. “We didn’t have to add any money,” Bradshaw continued, “The money was already there in their budget, so it was a no-brainer.”
In addition, Commissioner Bradshaw authorized the opening of an investigation financial account for Towns County Sheriff’s Office. The resolution states that the Towns County Sheriff’s Office at times has “need of access to operational funds” in order to assist the department with law enforcement and investigative services, benefiting the citizens of Towns County in the most efficient manner. The investigation account will be opened at South State Bank, with Towns County Sheriff’s Office Administrator Vicki Ellis, and Towns County Sheriff’s Captain James Baldwin, listed as authorized signers.
Commissioner Bradshaw presents certification to Towns County Building Inspector John Paul Peebles
“This money that they are going to put into this account is exactly what it says,” Bradshaw said, “It’s an investigation account. They use the money for certain things, to get the bad guys off the streets, and that’s what they’re doing.”
“We don’t want to go too far into detail, you know, and let the bad guys know what they’re doing,” Bradshaw stated.
Commissioner Bradshaw reminded that there will not be a county meeting held in June, as the commissioner will be out-of-town on the scheduled date, with the next session occurring on July 17, at 5:30 p.m. at the Towns County Courthouse.
Bradshaw also noted an increase in residential building permits, elevated from 17 to 31, in comparison to the same time-period last year. Permits for additions rose from 20 to 42 in the similar time frame. Bradshaw believes the spike is a positive indicator of an improving economy.
The commissioner ended the meeting by reminding the public that his door is “always open” to receiving input from the community.
Young Harris man arrested at Dollar General for public indecency
News December 17, 2017YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – On Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017, Towns County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Dollar General in Young Harris in reference to a reported incident involving an act of public indecency at the store.
Upon arrival, deputies located the suspect. Sheriff’s deputies arrested Darwin Pena Diaz, 31, of Young Harris, Georgia, charging him with one count of public indecency, one count of theft by taking and one count of obstruction of an officer.
As in all cases, Diaz is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. – FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. – For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Legacy of the Law: Memories of Towns County Sheriff Jay Chastain Sr.
Featured December 8, 2017
2017 ARCHIVE
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Forty-three years ago, during the early morning hours of Dec. 8, 1974, Towns County suffered the traumatic loss of one of its finest. Sheriff Jay Vernon Chastain Sr. was slain in the line of duty, shot in the chest, during a traffic stop near the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 288 in Hiawassee, Georgia. Sheriff Chastain served six years in office prior to his untimely death at the age of 47. He left behind a wife, a 5-year-old son, and a community devastated by his senseless death.
A retired Towns County deputy, who once served under Sheriff Chastain, reached out to FetchYourNews (FYN) in late September 2017. “No one has ever told a true remembrance of the sheriff that was killed, and I think that you can,” Danny Garland wrote. “Please help me to help others see the values he served.”
Sheriff Chastain’s now-grown son, Jay Chastain Jr, offered his blessing. and many intriguing interviews took place between Garland and FYN’s reporter over the course of several months.
Sheriff Jay Chastain Sr.
“I met Jay when I was 16 or 17 years old. Dad knew him, they were friends,” Garland explained. “Jay was working at Lockheed with him at the time. He was always talking to everyone, especially the youth and seniors. Jay began mentioning running for sheriff, as Towns County needed a real sheriff, and he felt a call to serve his community. After much prayer and thought, he decided to do just that. Dad supported him until Jay ran on the Republican ticket. My dad was a diehard Democrat.
“I begged dad to support Jay. It became a pretty hot and heated race, and when my dad did at last support him, dad was nearly fired from a state law enforcement job because the state was held by Democrats. Jay was elected though and devoted much time, spending long hours with the county’s youth, positive time at the high school, going above and beyond in helping others with their needs,” the retired captain recalled.
“Just before I turned 18, I enrolled in a new college program which gave me a jump start on my criminal justice degree. An internship had to be completed so I asked Jay if he could help me. The next week, I was riding in a patrol car, soon in uniform, toting a gun with a badge. The sheriff bought the badge out of his own pocket. I still have it.”
Garland’s treasured badge, a gift from Sheriff Chastain.
Dorothy Puett, the widow of Edwin Puett who also served as one of Chastain’s first deputies, remembered the late sheriff fondly as well. “When he was elected, they handed him the keys to the jail and a cigar box full of warrants. That’s it. He was offered bribes but never would take them. The first person he ever arrested, in fact, was his daddy-in-law,” Puett laughed.
“Jay would stop by the house each night for milk and cornbread,” Puett continued in a somber tone. “He was a good friend of ours. He dropped by at midnight on the night he was killed, just a couple of hours before it happened. He told us on that very night that they had done everything they could to get him out of office, that the only thing left was to kill him. He was a fine man who was trying to clean up Towns County.”
FYN inquired into who “they” were, but Puett understandably declined to go on record.
In a separate interview, retired Captain Garland also spoke of the late sheriff’s ominous premonitions: “When Jay was killed, there was much in action to help needy families with food or money. There were only two of us who knew the plan. Jay told me once while we were riding, ‘If something happens to me, you know where the list is and who gets what.’ Today, it is eerie when I think about it. Even after his death, he gave many gifts and helped dreams come true. His goal was compliance without arrest, if possible. Many times he’d mediate issues between people, leaving all satisfied. Sheriff Chastain was the mark of a dedicated servant of God and the people.”
Lynn Garland, the younger sibling of Danny Garland, reminisced on the sheriff’s legacy.
“I remember when some people wanted to have a recall and another election,” Lynn Garland began, “but the sheriff had more support than those who wanted him out. I don’t remember all of the details about the incident that started that ball rolling, but it was resolved in his favor. I was at the courthouse with my family, playing on the steps while they were in a meeting. Sheriff Jay came walking out, and I was so excited to see him. He said, ‘I don’t think I’ve got to hug you since everything turned out alright.’ He picked me up, hugged and kissed me, said, ‘Always remember how much I love you!’ That was the last time I saw him alive. I loved that man so much. I would get so excited to see him. I would jump up and down and run to him. The night I was told that he had died, that he had been shot and killed, there was a part of me that died too. He was killed 6 days before my 10th birthday. I went to his funeral and there were so many people from the community, law enforcement from all over. I think some were from out of state. I had never seen so many people or flowers in my life. Everyone was crying or looked like they were still in shock. It’s been 43 years, but it might as well be today. The hurt is so deep still. That’s how much I still love and miss him.”
Sheriff Chastain’s final resting place at Burch Cemetery.
At a later date, Danny Garland shared more memories.
“Many times, and not even with law enforcement issues, he was a true friend. Sheriff Chastain proved that so many times. He gave me money to take to people and told me not to tell them where it came from – family deaths, homes that burned, and especially at Christmas time,” Danny Garland said.
“The sheriff inherited a department that had one worn out patrol car, one mobile radio and an office with a base radio,” Garland continued. “There was such disarray. As I remember, he bought a second patrol car and equipped it, along with a base radio for his home. His wife answered the emergency phone and dispatched from their home at night while raising their young son. Jay recruited some great men as deputies, many of them part-time and most never paid, strictly volunteers. They were as regular as clockwork though. He had leadership ability and community devotion that made people happy to help him meet his goals for the county he loved.
“Jay and I once took food upstairs in the old jail to a man required to serve time or to pay a $200 fine. I remember it was cold up there that day. The man offered to sell Jay a .357 revolver for two hundred dollars. Jay told the inmate he couldn’t go to his house and get it. The man said you don’t have to. I’ve got it here in my coat and handed it to Jay through the bars. Good ole weak-kneed Jay agreed to buy the gun. Jay was the only real-life sheriff I’ve ever known that had regulars waiting in their cars or on the porch of the Old Rock Jail, waiting for Jay to lock them up and so they could get sober. If there were no prisoners and the door was unlocked, we’d find them upstairs laying on a cot.
“Jay built a respectful department from nothing. He was always happy. He did like to argue in a fun way though. Most of all he loved God. He was a very giving person. In the spring, summer, and fall we would hoe gardens, string beans, and shuck corn to help the older folks in the community.
“If I remember correctly, on the night Jay was killed, his wife was dispatching and there was a power failure, lightning struck, and it kept the news from being heard at home. I think God honored Jay and his family that night. The call was picked up by Union County and help was dispatched from there. At the hospital, I saw a heartbroken mother and child being walked in by officers. My thoughts were that the shooter got justice, fair and swiftly,” Garland recalled.
(The man who shot Chastain was killed on the scene by a deputy.)
“Jay instilled a prayer of service, and I still pray this prayer, even retired, every day. ‘Ask God to direct you to help another, if it ain’t in God’s plans for helping one at least, let me bring a laugh or smile to at least one person, that might change a person forever,'” Garland expressed. “He’d say never miss a chance to bring a smile. Jay walked the Thin Blue Line before it was ever painted.”
There is no doubt that the sheriff was what legends are made of, throughout his life and thereafter.
Eternal respect and gratitude for your service, Sir.
(Featured Photo provided by Jay Chastain Jr.)
Fetch Your News is a hyper-local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. – FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. – For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Georgia State Patrol Aviation Unit Lands in Hiawassee
News September 20, 2017
Hiawassee, GA – Soon-to-be graduates of the Citizen Law Enforcement Academy (CLEA) were given a firsthand look at a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) helicopter on Tuesday, September 19, at McConnell Baptist Church on Main Street.
Georgia State Patrol helicopter, once owned by best-selling author Patricia Cornwell
The second-to-last session in the 10-week series began with classroom instruction from GSP Corporal Paul Wofford on the history and operations of the state police aviation unit.
Georgia State Patrol Aviation Troopers, TFC Jamon Jones and Corporal Paul Wofford
Developed in 1974, the flight unit currently consists of 13 pilots and 12 aircraft. Each helicopter costs approximately $3.5 million dollars and each pilot flies an average of 250-300 hours per year.
There are six field hangars within the state of Georgia, located in Kennesaw, Albany, Gainesville, Perry, Reidsville, and Augusta.
The Georgia State Patrol aviation unit is dispatched to locate missing persons, aid in manhunts, assist with rescue missions, provide fire suppression, and capture aerial surveillance.
Towns County Sheriff Chris Clinton, Chief Deputy Colonel Terry Conner, and Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw were in attendance.
The final class in the CLEA program will be held at the Towns County Courthouse next week, followed by a tour of the Towns County 911 Dispatch center.
CLEA VII graduation is scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at McConnell Baptist Church in Hiawassee.
Alumni are invited to attend.
For information on participating in a future Citizen Law Enforcement Academy course, contact the Towns County Sheriff’s Office at 706.896.4444
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
From the Sheriff’s Desk: Sex Offenders
News, Sheriff's Desk September 4, 2017
From the Desk of Sheriff Chris Clinton:
I often receive calls and questions about sex offenders. These tend to occur when someone realizes that a neighbor is on the sex offender registry. Understandably, they are concerned about their family’s safety. The following information is provided in conjunction with the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association in the hope that it will help keep you informed and better able to take steps to keep yourself and your family safe.
Sheriffs’ offices are mandated by law to register sex offenders. These offenders are required to report to the sheriff’s office to register once a year, unless the offender is a predator, at which time he is required to register twice a year. The registration process includes collecting and verifying the offender’s registration information.
Although sheriffs’ offices manage the sex offender registry, they cannot track every movement. Therefore, citizen involvement is paramount. You – the citizen – must be aware of registered sex offenders who live or work in your community, and assume the responsibility of enhancing community safety and crime prevention.
Here are ways to become more involved.
• Research websites that provide registered sex offender information such as your local sheriff’s office website, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation http://gbi.georgia.gov/georgia-sex-offenderregistry and the family Watchdog at http://www.familywatchdog.us/.
• Understand the issues involved in sexual assault. Know the statistics. • Assume preventing sexual assault is everyone’s responsibility.
• Talk to your children about personal safety issues as they relate to child sexual abuse. Do this when you talk to your children about bike safety, crossing the street, or talking to strangers. It is, in many ways, just another personal safety rule about which children need to be aware.
• Increase your knowledge about risk reduction measures you can take to protect yourself.
• Invite your local law enforcement, probation/ parole department, rape crisis center, or child abuse prevention organization to a neighborhood discussion group to learn about the issue and to process people’s emotions.
• Get to know your neighbors.
• Organize neighborhood block watches, if desired, by your neighbors. • Do not wait until you are informed that a sex offender is living nearby to begin educating yourself and family on issues of sexual assault. • Find out what the statistics on child sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, offender arrest, and incarceration are in your community.
In Towns County, we keep a very close eye on sex offenders, but we cannot be everywhere all the time and we want you to be informed. If I can answer questions about any issue, please do
not hesitate to call upon us. We are only able to address the concerns we are made aware of. We stand, as always, eager to serve.
TCSO provides Naloxone and Training for Local Law Enforcement
Press Release July 31, 2017
Press Release from the Towns County Sheriff’s Office:
The Towns County Sheriff’s Office equipped deputies and local police officers with potentially life-saving Naloxone kits, as well as training in the use of Naloxone in stopping a potentially fatal narcotics overdose. .
The Sheriff’s Office applied for and received a grant through the Project DAN (Death Avoided by Naloxone). The project grant is intended to provide the training necessary for law enforcement first responders to be able to administer the overdose kit to narcotic overdose victims. Numerous victims of narcotic overdoses have been saved due to the first responding law enforcement officers being equipped with these kits.
The Sheriff’s Office reached out to the Hiawassee Police Department and was able to provide kits and training for their officers as well. The Hiawassee Police Department provided a classroom at City Hall for all the officers to attend the training.
On Tuesday July 25th and Thursday July 27th Towns County Sheriff’s Captain Jim Couch conducted the necessary training in the use of Naloxone in treating a narcotic overdose. All the officers attending were issued Naloxone kits upon completion of the training.
Sheriff Clinton is pleased that we could offer our deputies and local police officers training and equipment that may save the life of someone’s family member. Being proactive in dealing with substance abuse isn’t only about enforcement; it should also include prevention and treatment. In the event that someone’s loved one is experiencing a life threatening narcotics overdose, the first and most important thing is to do all that we can to save the victim’s life. Sheriff Clinton would like to thank the Hiawassee Police Department for providing the classroom and participating in the training. Our local law enforcement as first responders are now better equipped in saving lives.
Young Harris teen charged with multiple sex crimes
Arrest Reports, News February 16, 2019YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Towns County Sheriff’s Office investigators served arrest warrants Friday, Feb. 15 on Dalton Travis Denmark, 18, of Young Harris. Denmark was arrested and taken into custody without incident.
Investigators secured warrants on Denmark upon completing an investigation into alleged incidents of sexual misconduct with a victim reported to be 13 years old at the time. Towns County Sheriff’s Office stated that the incidents were reported to have occurred at a location within Towns County between July and September of 2018.
Denmark was arrested and charged with the following crimes:
– One Count of Aggravated Child Molestation
– Two Counts of Statutory Rape
– Two Counts of Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes
The investigation is currently active and ongoing. The case will be forwarded to the Enotah Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Denmark is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Correction: FYN originally listed the month of arrest as January. It has since been corrected.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet, attracting more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Towns, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, and Murray counties, as well as Clay and Cherokee County in N.C. – FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week, reaching between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page.
Sheriff Clinton asks community’s help in making Christmas brighter for local children
Community, Sheriff's Desk November 27, 2018From the Desk of Towns County Sheriff Chris Clinton:
Most of us have family traditions that we enjoy during the Christmas season. Families with small children may spend Christmas Eve baking cookies for Santa or listening to Christmas carols, while enjoying eggnog by the fire. As a small child I remember the anticipation of Christmas being so intense. I was in awe and wonder dreaming about what might be inside all those presents wrapped so nicely under the tree. I would just stare at the Christmas tree and day dream about Christmas Day.
For me, even at 49, Christmas is still the most magical time of year. I love Christmas lights and the sounds of Christmas carols everywhere. The world just seems to be a nicer place during the Christmas season. I love to watch young children open gifts and see their eyes light up with joy. There is no other feeling like the feeling Christmas. While Christmas is about much more than material possessions, the spirit of Christmas, is certainly captured in the joy of a child receiving a gift on Christmas morning.
So, what about the children who are less fortunate? Imagine the child whose family has fallen on hard times. Do they wake up to just another day of struggling to make ends meet? Imagine if you were a parent who loved your child, but had fallen on hard times. I doubt that there would be anything much harder than not being able to provide your child, whom you love, the wonder of Christmas morning.
It breaks my heart to think that, as the rest of the world enjoys the most blessed day of the year, some families wake to another day of not having enough. While providing toys for these children isn’t going to make the rest of their problems go away, I can’t help but believe that, at least for a time, their world becomes a little brighter and things seem a little better than before.
Each year the Sheriff’s Office attempts to provide the joy of Christmas gifts for these children. This effort is only made possible by the help of generous people in the community who donate to this cause. Names of children in need are collected and toys are gathered. We try whenever possible to provide at least one item that the child has specifically asked for. The toys are then given to the parents, of the child to handle Christmas in their family’s tradition. It is all done in such a way as to protect the dignity of the family and allow them to share in the joy that many of us take for granted.
This year has been a tough one for some local families. We are hoping to provide for each child, but we need your help to do so. If you would like to be a part of this effort, or if you know of a family with children in need of help, please contact your Sheriff’s Office at 706-896-4444.
I hope that each of you has a blessed and joyous Christmas this year!
Sheriff Chris Clinton and Colonel Gene Moss address Fourth Amendment
News June 30, 2018
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – The Fourth Amendment was the topic of discussion at Mountain Movers and Shakers on the morning of Friday, June 29, 2018. Towns County Sheriff Chris Clinton and Colonel Gene Moss – a retired law enforcement officer from Forsyth County, Georgia – advised citizens of their constitutional rights pertaining to search and seizure.
Colonel Gene Moss
The Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights reads: The right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Colonel Moss, who spent over four decades serving in law enforcement, opened the forum by asserting that citizens have the right to an expectation of privacy._
“We’re going to talk a little bit about searches, vehicle searches,” Moss said, adding that vehicle searches tend to be controversial, “First of all, if you’re in law enforcement, you’ve got to have a reason to stop somebody, ok? You’ve got to have a reason…Law enforcement, how far they push this thing to get into your car, to look in your vehicle,” Moss reiterated, “You’ve got to have a valid reason to stop somebody.”
Moss went on to explain that stopping a vehicle for infractions, such as driving with a broken or dim taillight or failure to maintain lane, in itself does not constitute a legitimate reason for a law enforcement officer to conduct a search.
Sheriff Clinton mirrored the colonel’s thoughts. “Anybody that’s been around me very long knows that I’m a liberty guy, a lover of the constitution,” Clinton said, going on to state that only one percent of the population commits crimes, and his office sees no reason to “harass” the other 99 percent.
The sheriff explained that reasonable and articulated suspicion, probable cause, a warrant issued by a judge, or citizen consent is necessary for a lawful search to be conducted. “For my purposes, I require by policy, our deputies have to be able to articulate what it was that lead them to ask for consent to search,” Clinton said, “This garbage about ‘Well, I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, and we’ve got a lot of drugs out here in the world. Mind if I go rifle through your stuff?’ Well if you don’t know me, and I don’t know you, why are you calling me a bad person? Shouldn’t I be observant enough and good enough at my job to know when criminal behavior is afoot?”
Reasonable suspicion is a standard of proof in United States law that is less than probable cause, the legal standard for arrests and warrants, but more than a hunch; it must be based on specific and articulable facts, taken together with rational inferences from those facts, and the suspicion must be associated with the specific individual.
Probable cause is the standard by which police authorities have reason to obtain a warrant for the arrest of a suspected criminal or the issuing of a search warrant. The principle behind the standard is to limit the power of authorities to perform random or abusive searches, and promote the lawful gathering of evidence during criminal arrest and prosecution.
Mountain Movers and Shakers meet Fridays at 8:00 a.m. at Sundance Grill in Hiawassee, with different community speakers each week. Meetings are open to the public, and membership is not required.
Towns County Sheriff’s Office seeks assistance in locating wanted subject
News, Press Release June 30, 2018YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Towns County Sheriff’s Office is asking for assistance from the public in locating an individual, currently holding six active warrants.
Zachary William Hart, 20, of Warne, North Carolina, is wanted out of Towns County on the following warrants:
- One Warrant for Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer
- One Warrant for Theft by Taking
- Three Warrants for Financial Transaction Card Theft
- One Bench Warrant for Financial Transaction Card Theft and Transaction Card Fraud
In addition, Union County Sheriff’s Office and Clay County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina hold active warrants on Hart.
Zachary Hart frequents the area between Gumlog and Warne, North Carolina.
Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Hart is asked to call the Towns County Sheriff’s Office at 706-896-4444 or 911.
All information will be kept confidential.
Undercover investigation leads to Hiawassee drug bust
News May 15, 2018HIAWASSEE, Ga. – Towns County Sheriff’s Office investigators executed a search warrant at a residence off Sims Circle in Hiawassee Thursday, May 10, 2018, following an extensive joint investigation conducted by the Union County Sheriff’s Office and personnel from the Enotah Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
During the course of an undercover investigation, numerous drug purchases were made.
Samuel Dwayne Hedden
A total street value of over $7,000 in illegal drugs were seized from the residence, following the execution of the search warrant.
Samuel Dwayne Hedden, 63, was arrested by Towns County Sheriff’s Office investigators and charged with five counts of Violation of Georgia Controlled Substance Act, involving the sale of marijuana, four counts involving the sale of Xanax, three counts involving the sale of methamphetamine, and one count for possession of drug-related objects.
In addition, Hedden was charged with one count of Violation of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The investigation remains open and ongoing. Additional charges are likely.
Stolen vehicle recovered after police pursuit, suspects arrested
News January 20, 2018
HIAWASSEE, Ga. – On Thursday, Jan. 18, 2018, a Hiawassee police officer attempted to make a traffic stop of a 2009 white Ford F-150 within the city limits. The driver of the pickup refused to stop, proceeding on Highway 76 west. The pickup turned onto Cedar Cliff Road when the two occupants jumped out and fled from the vehicle, which had been stolen out of Nashville, Tennessee.
John Shillibeer
Towns County Sheriff’s deputies responded and apprehended the fleeing suspects after two deputies located the suspects near the area where the pickup was abandoned.
The female suspect, Monica Pez Benitez, was arrested without incident. The male suspect, John James Shillibeer, fled from deputies and was apprehended after attempting to hide in the crawl space under a nearby residence.
John James Shillibeer, 29, of Armuchee, Georgia, was arrested and charged with one felony count of theft by receiving stolen property, one count of violation of Georgia’s Controlled Substance Act (VGCSA) for possession of amphetamine, one count of VGCSA possession of marijuana, one count possession of drug related objects, one count of driving with a suspended license, one count of reckless driving, one count of fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, one count of failure to maintain lane, one count of obstruction of a law enforcement officer, and one count of criminal trespass.
Monica Benitez
Monica Pez Benitez, 29, of Adkins, Texas, was arrested and charged with one felony count of theft by receiving stolen property, and one count of making false statements to a law enforcement officer.
In addition, John James Shillibeer is being held for Cook County Sheriff’s Office in reference to a probation warrant.
Due to the teamwork and cooperation between the Hiawassee Police Department, Towns County Sheriff’s Office, Towns County Fire Department personnel, and a ranger from the Department of Natural Resources, the suspects were apprehended and taken into custody in short order.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns, and Murray counties, as well as Cherokee County in N.C. – FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page.
For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Traffic stop leads to drug arrest
Arrest Reports, News January 6, 2018YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – On Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017, Towns County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Jeffery Dale Plott, 46, of Young Harris, Georgia, charging him with one count of violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, for possession of methamphetamine.
The arrest was made on Byers Creek Road in Young Harris following a traffic stop involving a black Toyota Tacoma pickup. The Georgia State Patrol assisted Towns County deputies during the traffic stop.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. – FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. – For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Investigation Leads to Arrest of Burglary Suspect
Arrest Reports, News September 12, 2017
Towns County, GA – Towns County Sheriff’s detectives arrested Nathan Brice Garrett, 29, of Warne, North Carolina, on Thursday, September 7, 2017.
Garrett was charged with one count of Burglary, two counts of Theft by Taking, one count of Criminal Damage to Property, and one count of Criminal Trespass.
Nathan Brice Garrett
The charges were related to a reported burglary which occurred at a local antique store located on Highway 17 in Young Harris, Georgia. The burglary was reported to have occurred between Monday, August 14th, and Tuesday, August 15th of this year.
During the investigation, several of the reported stolen items were recovered and warrants were secured on the suspect.
The case will be referred to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Garrett attempted to evade law enforcement on August 17, 2017, by swimming into Lake Chatuge.
Sheriff’s Office Investigates Physical Altercation
Press Release August 26, 2017
Towns County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the Sand Bar on Highway 76 on Saturday, August 20, shortly after midnight in reference to a physical altercation which was reportedly occurring there.
Upon arrival, deputies located a male subject severely injured lying on the ground, being treated by Towns County Emergency Medical Service personnel. He was transported from the scene and admitted for medical treatment.
The incident was turned over to investigators with the Sheriff’s Office to investigate further. Sheriff’s investigators were also assisted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to follow up on the altercation. Sheriff’s Office investigators currently have identified a total of 26 witnesses. The investigators has also gathered other evidence as well.
Anyone who was present at the Sand Bar at the time of this altercation who has not been interviewed by investigators is asked to call the Towns County Sheriff’s Office at 706-896-4444 and ask for Lt. Aaron Deyton.
At this time the investigation is active and ongoing.