Crime Report: Bad Checks Exchanged for Goats, Multiple Warrant Arrests and More

Bad Checks in Exchange for Goats: On Aug. 9, a women told deputies she  tried to cash two of three checks given to her by another woman in July for the purchase of goats. The bank advised her the checks, which had been post-dated, bounced because of insufficient funds. 

Harassing Text Messages: A woman reported on Aug. 9 that she had received a series of text messages throughout the night before threatening one of her male friends.  She told deputies she asked the sender to stop but the messages continued.

Shoplifting Arrest: Oconee deputies traveled to Barrow County on Aug. 9 to pick up a suspect wanted in Oconee on a misdemeanor charge of theft by shoplifting.  Kevin Henry Brown, 50, of Winder, was booked into the Oconee County Jail.

Probation Violation: Oconee deputies met Athens-Clarke County police on Macon Highway on Aug. 9 to pick up a prisoner that had a probation violation warrant in his name out of Oconee County. Derrick Smith, 33, of Moreland Drive, was transferred to the Oconee County Jail.

Warrant Arrest: Deputies were investigating an incident of a prowler in the woods near the RaceTrac construction site on Mars Hill around 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 9.  A deputy reports he pulled over a car occupied by two people for an investigative stop on Ga. Highway 316 at Jimmy Daniel Road. The deputy noted this action was based on the fact it is a common occurance in foot pursuits for a suspect to be picked up by a passing vehicle.

The two men told the deputy they were coming home from Atlanta and the deputy noted the men had no signs of having been in the woods.  However, dispatch notified the deputy that there were warrants out of Clarke County in the passenger's name on charges of probation violation and theft by taking. Lavarus Jamar Young, 24, was arrested and taken to the Oconee County Jail to await pick up by Clarke County deputies.

Shoplifting Arrest: loss prevention officers told deputies on Aug. 8 around 11:30 p.m. that they had a man in custody for attempting to leave the store with $22 worth of merchandise.  Tameron Jeffery Gowan, 22, of Fountain Inn, South Carolina, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor theft by shoplifting.

Warrant Arrest: On Aug. 8, Oconee deputies transported Pablo Andres Gaviria-Matiz from the Clarke County Jail to the Oconee County Jail on a probation violation warrant.

Burglary: Deputies responded to a residential alarm call at a home in the 6700 block of Greensboro Highway on Aug. 8 around 12:30 p.m. The electric meter had been pulled out of the electric box and the rear door glass had been shattered.  Someone had reached in through the broken panes to unlock the security latch and open the door, which was left open.  Nothing appeared to be missing.

Suspicious Persons Report: Deputies were dispatched to a property in the 1200 block of Woodlands Drive where three men were found to be at a vacant property loading a lawn mover into a pickup truck.  The men told deputies they were given permission to pick up the lawn mower, which didn't work. 

Deputies spoke to the former resident who said the mower belonged to his mother and she may not have known he had given permission for it to be removed.  The deputy explained to the man that because he and his mother had abandoned the property two months prior they could no longer give permission for someone to be on the property.

At the scene, the three men's identities were checked and deputies learned one of them had a warrant in his name for probation violation. Courtney Marquie Brown, 21, of Watkinsville, was taken into custody.  The other men were allowed to leave. 

Deputies later reached the landowner who decided not to press charges because of the misunderstanding.

Probation Violation: Oconee deputies met with Athens-Clarke County police at Stone Henge Subdivison on Aug. 8 around 10:40 a.m. to pick up Frederick F. Hunter, 41, of Bogart who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest on a probation violation charge.

Harassing Text Messages: A woman reported an ex-boyfriend, who has not been in contact with her for several months, suddenly began to send her and her mother threatening text messages.

A mother reports her 15-year-old daughter became sick on Aug. 7 after spending time with a friend at a trailer in Pinewood Estates South mobile home park.

Harassment: A man told deputies on Aug. 7 an old female friend had been following him around. He is married and he said he has asked the woman to leave him alone. 

Warrant Arrest: A deputy traveled to a residence on McCarty Dodd Road in Madison County on Aug. 6 to pick up John David Kerns, 27, of Colbert. Kerns wanted to turn himself in on a warrant for probation violation. 

Inappropriate Contact: A woman told deputies on Aug. 6 that her grandson had been touched inappropriately while at his mother's house in Orlando, Florida in June.  The boy's father is already in contact with authorities in Florida, but the boy needed to speak with a local forensic interviewer in order to give a statement, she said.

Mailbox Damaged: A resident of the 1300 block of Arizona Bend reported his mailbox was knocked down and re-posted by someone sometime between 7 p.m. on Aug. 5 and 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 6. The door of the mailbox was dented. Deputies did not find any other damaged mailboxes in the area.

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