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The following press release has been issued by Towns County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
On Monday night, February 22nd, Towns County deputies responded to Hi River Country subdivision in reference to a suspicious vehicle and suspicious subjects in the roadway. Upon arrival, deputies discovered that subjects occupying two trucks were blocking a roadway leading into the subdivision. Residents of the subdivision that were attempting to enter and leave were being illegally stopped and detained. The residents who were stopped in the roadway expressed how frightened and alarmed they were coming upon the roadblock setup by the subjects. The suspicious subjects blocking the roadway stated that they were looking for a stolen vehicle that was supposedly in the subdivision. The vehicle supposedly stolen was described as a red mustang. There had not been a vehicle reported stolen to the Sheriff’s Office fitting the description given, nor were any calls received by the 911 Center as to any vehicles taken without permission. The following subjects were arrested at the scene: Dustin Blake Parker, age 26 of Hiawassee, Georgia 3 Counts of False Imprisonment 3 Count of Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Crime Cleveland Edward Wade, age 45 of Hiawassee, Georgia 3 Counts of False Imprisonment 1 Count False Statements Jack Clifford Shook, age 52 of Young Harris, Georgia 3 Counts of False Imprisonment 3 Count of Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Crime This is an active criminal investigation where additional charges and arrests are possible.  The following press release has been issued by Towns County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
On Tuesday night, February 16th , a domestic violence incident was reported to the Towns County 911 center. The incident was reported to have occurred at a residence on Shake Rag Road in Hiawassee. Sheriff Clinton, Towns County Sheriff’s deputies, and a Hiawassee Police officer, arrived on the scene to discover that the alleged offender had fled the scene in a red Ford truck. The offender was reported to be armed with an assault rifle and handguns. An alert citizen called 911 to report that she had seen a truck fitting the description turn onto a side road on Bell Mountain at a high rate of speed. Sheriff Clinton and Patrol Commander, Lieutenant Mark Henderson, traveled on foot a short distance out the road and located the suspect's vehicle. After clearing the vehicle, which had been abandoned, a Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit was requested. Deputies secured the location, as Sheriff Clinton and the Hiawassee Police officer provided security for the K-9 team. The K-9 tracked the suspect around the side of the ridge and back to the home where the original incident took place. Cell phone records suggest that a phone was used at the residence. The suspect, identified as Casey Don Allen, age 35 of Hiawassee, was arrested and charged with one count of Aggravated Assault and one count of Cruelty to Children 3rd Degree. The following press release has been issued by Towns County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Toccoa, Georgia – Yesterday, 200 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers served 20 search warrants and 27 arrest warrants for members and suppliers of Horace Mayfield’s drug trafficking organization. Over the course of ten months, the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO), with the cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office, brought down a multifaceted drug trafficking network with tentacles reaching south into Atlanta and north into South Carolina. Multiple criminal charges will be brought against these persons under the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute. Mayfield and his drug trafficking organization have been operating in Stephens County and surrounding communities for many years. Over the course of this investigation, the Mayfield drug trafficking organization can be attributed to 72 kilograms of cocaine, 15 kilograms of methamphetamine and 50 pounds of marijuana with a total street value of 9.5 million dollars. This particular investigation is an example of the value of inter-agency cooperation. Because of the strong, existing relationships between the participating agencies, agents were able to share intelligence and coordinate the dismantling of a complex drug trafficking organization. Those agencies involved include ARDEO consisting of the following sheriff’s offices: White County, Lumpkin County, Towns County, Banks County, Habersham County, Stephens County, and Rabun County, along with the Cleveland Police Department, the Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, the Department of Public Safety, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force (NGMOTF); a FBI-led Safe Streets Task Force (SSTF) consisting of the Cherokee County SO, GBI, Hall County SO, and Forsyth County SO; Conasagua Safe Streets Task Force (CSSTF), a FBI-led SSTF, consisting of the Calhoun PD, Chatsworth PD, Dalton PD, and Murray County SO; Northwest Georgia Criminal Enterprise Task Force (NWGCETF), a FBI-led SSTF; Gwinnett County Police Narcotics Unit; Northeast Georgia Regional DTF; Oconee County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit; and the Anderson, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office. Although numerous arrests have been made and evidence seized, the investigation continues and additional arrests are expected. Sheriff Clinton said, “This investigation, one of this magnitude, took the better part of a year, as we have targeted the supply chain. With the expansion of the Appalachian Drug Task Force into the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office, we've extended our network and resources. With that, we can expect to see more of these types of investigations.” Sheriff Clinton is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for ARDEO. Graham County Man Sentenced To More Than 6 Years In Prison For Possessing Child Pornography2/15/2016
 On Thursday, February 11, 2016 U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Mark Alan Tygart, of Robbinsville, N.C. to 76 months in prison on possession of child pornography charges, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney Rose is joined in making the announcement by John A. Strong, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Alan K. Flora Special Agent in Charge of the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Computer Crimes Unit, and Sheriff Danny Milsaps of the Graham County Sheriff’s Office. In October 2015, Tygart pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2014, an undercover officer discovered Tygart posting links to child pornography in an online chat room where Tygart went by the name “twerk.” In December 2014, a search warrant was executed at Tygart’s residence in a joint operation with the FBI, SBI, and Graham County Sheriff’s Office detectives. Computer forensic analysis of seized devices revealed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. The defendant will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. NOTE: The original press release has been updated to include the arrest of a third individual.
The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the February 13th, 2015 arrest of 34-year-old Charleston Ray Waldroup and 26-year-old Mary Martha Rankin and the February 14th arrest of 54-year-old Ricky Tex Waldroup, all of Murphy, North Carolina for sexual assault charges involving a minor child. Mary Rankin was arrested and booked into the Cherokee County Detention Center on charges of FELONY CHILD ABUSE-PROSTITUTION, FELONY CHILD ABUSE-SEXUAL ACT, DISSEMINATE OBSCENE MATERIAL TO MINOR UNDER 16. The Cherokee County Magistrate set a $750,000.00 secure bond. Rankin is expected to be in Cherokee County District Court on February 24th, 2016. Rankin is currently still incarcerated in the Cherokee County Detention Center. Charleston Ray Waldroup was arrested and booked into the Cherokee County Detention Center on Charges of FELONY INCEST, FIRST DEGREE RAPE OF A CHILD, FIRST DEGREE SEXUAL OFFENSE, and was set a $1,000.000.00 secure bond. Charleston Waldroup is also expected to appear in Cherokee County District Court February 24th, 2016. Charleston Waldroup is currently incarcerated in the Cherokee County Detention Center. Ricky Tex Waldroup was arrested and booked into the Cherokee County Detention Center on Charges of FELONY INCEST, FIRST DEGREE RAPE OF A CHILD, 2 counts of FIRST DEGREE SEXUAL OFFENSE, and was set a $1,000.000.00 secure bond. Ricky Waldroup is also expected to appear in Cherokee County District Court February 24th, 2016. Ricky Waldroup is currently incarcerated in the Cherokee County Detention Center. Based upon the age of the victim and the sensitive nature of the case, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office will not be releasing any additional information concerning this incident at this time.  Deodrick Santrez Boykin The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the February 11th, 2016 arrest of 37-year-old Deodrick Santrez Boykin, of Murphy, North Carolina for possession of a stolen vehicle and the illegal possession of controlled substances. On February 11th, 2016, Boykin was stopped by members of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Boykin was arrested during the traffic stop based on warrants for possession of a stolen vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, subsequent to the arrest on the warrant, Methamphetamine and Heroin, along with items of paraphernalia were found. Boykin was brought to the Cherokee County Detention Center where he was charged with POSSESS WITH INTENT TO MANUFACTURE/SELL/DELIVER HEROIN, POSSESS METHAMPHETAMINE, POSSESS STOLEN AUTOMOBILE, MAINTAIN PLACE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, SIMPLE POSSESSION SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE. Boykin is currently being held on a $10,000.00 secure bond awaiting a February 24th, 2016 District Court date. Sheriff Palmer stated, “Whatever it takes and however many times we need to put people in jail so that they learn that we will not tolerate the illegal sale and distribution of drugs in Cherokee County, we will continue doing what we are doing and encourage our community to continue to partner with us. We are making a difference.” Sheriff Palmer encourages any one that has information on this crime or any other to report it. To report crime in Cherokee County you can call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.   The following press release has been issued by Rabun County Sheriff's Office. Dillard, Georgia – On Monday, February 8, 2016 at approximately 12:50 PM, a bank robber entered the Rabun County Bank located at 7408 Highway 441 North, Dillard, Georgia and demanded money. An undisclosed amount of money was taken. The suspect left the scene in a late 1990s model black Ford Explorer. The suspect is described as a black male with a light complexion, heavy build, and standing approximately 6’2-6’4 inches in height. The suspect is believed to be in his late 20’s or early 30’s and had at least one visible tattoo and a facial piercing. The Dillard Police Department and the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and are investigating the robbery with the assistance of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI, the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, and the Dillard Police Department are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the robbery suspect pictured in the attached photographs. Also included is a photograph of the Ford Explorer. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office at 706-782-6226 or the GBI tip line, 800-597-8477.    Sequoyah The Aquarian The following press release has been issued by Towns County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
On Saturday, February 6th, a Towns County Sheriff’s deputy made a traffic stop on a white BMW X5 on Hwy. 17 for traffic related violations. As a result of the traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle, Sequoyah The Aquarian, age 33 of Hayesville, North Carolina, was arrested on one (1) count of Possession of Methamphetamine with intent to Distribute and one (1) count of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony. The investigation surrounding the drug arrest is still active and ongoing  Marcus William Collier The following press release has been issued by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Murphy, NC— Sheriff Derrick Palmer announced the February 1st, 2016 arrest of 33-year-old Marcus William Collier, of Murphy, North Carolina following an investigation into the illegal possession of controlled substances in Cherokee County, North Carolina. The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, working in conjunction with members of the State Bureau of Investigation, Swain County Sheriff’s Office and the National Park Service, conducted a joint investigation into allegations that Collier had been trafficking controlled substances into Cherokee County, North Carolina. On February 1st, 2016, information was received by investigators that Collier may be in possession of a large quantity of controlled substances. When the law enforcement officers attempted to approach Collier to continue their investigation, he fled on foot and a chase ensued. Collier was apprehended a short time later near his residence. Investigators continued their investigation and conducted a search of the Hill Top Road residence which Collier had been occupying and seized a large quantity of methamphetamine along with a large amount of harvested marijuana as well as US currency and other items. Collier was arrested and brought to the Cherokee County Detention Center where he was charged with TRAFFIC IN METHAMPHETAMINE, POSSESS WITH INTENT TO SELL/DELIVER MARIJUANA, RESISTING PUBLIC OFFICER, MAINTAIN PLACE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, POSSESS DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, POSSESS MARIJUANA PARAPHERNALIA and remains in the Cherokee County Detention Center on a $251,000.00 secure bond awaiting a February 10th, 2016 District Court date. Sheriff Palmer stated, “as you can see, we are teaming up with other agencies to combat the illegal drug dealing in Cherokee County. I thank each of the officers from the SBI, Swain County Sheriff’s Office and the National Park Service who assisted in this matter. Again, I encourage our community to join the team to help us send the message we will not tolerate illegal drugs in Cherokee County.” Sheriff Palmer encourages anyone that has information on this crime or any other to report it. To report crime in Cherokee County, you can call the anonymous tip line at 828-837-1344 or email a tip at crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov or call 911 if you observe a crime in progress.  The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help identifying a person of interest in a recent Breaking and Entering of vehicles at Jacky Jones Chevrolet Buick GMC in Murphy. If you have any information concerning the identity of the individual shown in the security footage, please contact Det. Tiffany Holland at 828-837-2589.    |
