HELLO EVERYONE AND THANKS FOR JOINING US....I'M LEAH JOHNSON..
FRANK MALLOY HAS THE NIGHT OFF.
THE BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS ARRESTED AT LEAST 12 PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH ONE OF THE COUNTY'S LARGEST IDENTITY THEFT INVESTIGATIONS.
THE 2-YEAR-LONG INVESTIGATION HAS STRUNG THE DEPARTMENT IN A WEB OF SEPARATE FRAUD CASES.
AMY AUBERT TALKED WITH SHERIFF BILL MASSEE... AND GOT THE LATEST ON THEIR FINDINGS.
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Nats, Massee: "This has been an unbelievable investigation."
WITH TWO YEARS UNDER THEIR BELT... THE BALDWIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT... IS STILL WORKING TO UNRAVEL A WEB OF IDENTITY THEFT CASES.
IT'S LED THEM ON A NATIONWIDE TRAIL... THAT HITS HOME.
Nats, cars
MOST RECENTLY... THE DEPARTMENT ARRESTED 25-YEAR-OLD O'SHAY CARSWELL... AND 24-YEAR-OLD QUINTONIO REYES.
SHERIFF MASSEE SAYS THEY CASHED OVER 154 THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF LEGITIMATE TREASURY CHECKS IN BALDWIN COUNTY.
Sheriff Massee: "In essence it's in the right name, but to the wrong person."
THE INVESTIGATION STARTED IN 2010... WHEN GEORGIA MILITARY COLLEGE REPORTED SOMEONE WAS CASHING FRAUDULENT CHECKS... WITH THEIR ACCOUNT INFORMATION.
THIS MONTH... THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO OCONEE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER.
Amy Aubert: "I spoke to Brenda Qualls, the Chief Financial Officer here at the Oconee Regional Medical Center. She says she reported over 20 fake checks that had all the hospitals information on it including their bank account information. Sheriff Massee says those checks ranged anywhere from 15 hundred to 55 hundred dollars."
LEADS HAVE TAKEN THE DEPARTMENT... ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IN JANUARY...THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARRESTED 35-YEAR-OLD AKOP TAYMIZYAM... WHO MASSEE SAYS IS INVOLVED WITH THE RUSSIAN MAFIA.
HE SAYS HE USED A FAKE IDENTITY TO CASH OVER 500 DOLLARS IN BALDWIN COUNTY... AROUND 250 THOUSAND IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA... AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN CALIFORNIA.
Sheriff Massee: "What has amazed us is how these people network. There are groups that make ID's, there are groups that make checks, there are groups that will take the checks, find people to cash them, and discount them, and it's a network."
AN INVESTIGATION... MASSEE SAYS... THAT KEEPS LEADING THEM... TO NEW CASES.
AMY AUBERT... 13 WMAZ... EYEWITNESS NEWS.
>> MASSEE SAYS SEVERAL CHECKS WERE RECENTLY CASHED WITH THE OCONEE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER'S ACCOUNT INFORMATION... IN CALIFORNIA.
THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL GOING ON.
DANNY GLOVER SAYS LACK OF SUPPORT AND CONFLICTS WITH MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITEE... FORCED HIM TO THROW IN THE TOWEL AS CHAIRMAN.
A FEW LOCAL PARTY MEMBERS TOLD KATELYN HECK... GLOVER'S PROBLEMS STEMMED FROM THE AGE-OLD DEBATE OF YOUTH VERSES EXPERIENCE.
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(NATS: i am not a quitter!)
DANNY GLOVER SAYS HE RESIGNED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE LOCAL DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITEE BECAUSE OTHER MEMBERS DIDN'T SUPPORT HIS PUSH FOR DIVERSITY OR RECRUITING YOUNG VOTERS.
(SOT: if I cant get 24 people together to vote on voter registration and funding 1,012 dollars for the program, then who can I work with?)
THE 24-YEAR-OLD SAYS NEGATIVE REACTIONS TO HIS PRO-CONSOLIDATION STANCE AT A RECENT FORUM.... TIPPED THE SCALE.
(SOT: i was cursed out, i was called every F word in the book, i was called foolish, dumb, for having an opinion, for having an opinion that I learned in college)
STATE REPRESENTATIVE NIKKI RANDALL SAYS OLDER DEMOCRATS PUT UP A WALL AGAINST GLOVER BECAUSE OF HIS AGE.
(SOT:there were some of these same folks giving him a hard time that told me not to run, that i was too young, btu i'm proud of the service that i've rendered and i wasnt too young, i had done my homework, so you can do your homework and not be old)
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH 13WMAZ LAST OCTOBER... GLOVER SAID MACON'S OLD GUARD FOCUSED TOO MUCH ON PAST RACIAL STRUGGLES.
(SOT:we are a community of people, different races, different ethnicities, different religions; we should all be able to come together on the 90% we agree on instead of getting in the dirt and fighting about the 10% we don't agree on.)
FORMER MAYOR C JACK ELLIS SAYS HE MENTORED GLOVER WHEN HE INTERNED WITH HIS OFFICE... AND DID NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH HIS AGE OR LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
(SOT:at 24 i was leading a team in combat, and that's a life and death situation, if someone can lead a group into combat at that age, they should be able to lead a local party organization.)
GLOVER SAYS HE HAS NO PLANS TO RUN FOR ANOTHER OFFICE RIGHT NOW... BUT WILL CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE YOUNG DEMOCRATS GROUP.
KATELYN HECK
13WMAZ EYEWITNESS NEWS
>> SOME MEMBERS OF THE BIBB COUNTY DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITEE REFUSED TO COMMENT ON GLOVERS RESIGNATION.
THE NEW PARTY CHAIRWOMAN... SARAH HUNT... DID NOT RETURN OUR PHONE CALLS.
WE'RE LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR AWAY FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE HOUSTON COUNTY RELAY FOR LIFE.
THINGS START AT 6-30 AT THE GEORGIA NATIONAL FAIRGROUNDS IN PERRY... AND THAT'S WHERE WE FIND LORRA LYNCH JONES.
LORRA.... HOW ARE THINGS LOOKING?
THANKS LORRA... AGAIN... OPENING CEREMONIES START AT 6-30.
A HANDFULL OF STATES ALLOW SAME SEX MARRIAGE.. SEVERAL MORE HONOR SAME SEX UNIONS..
IT'S A TOPIC THAT DIVIDES OUR NATION.. BECAUSE GAY MARRIAGE FORCES US TO EXAMINE BOTH LEGAL AND MORAL ISSUES..
JOINING US NOW TO EXAMINE THE POLITICAL ASPECT OF GAY MARRIAGE ARE THE FORMER CHAIR OF BIBB COUNTY'S REPUBLICAN PARTY.. BILL KNOWLES.. AND LEADER OF THE YOUNG DEMOCRATS AT MACON STATE COLLEGE.. TYLER HORNE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US..
MR KNOWLES.. AS WE JUST HEARD FROM THE APPARENT REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT MITT ROMNEY SAY.. REPUBLICANS ARE AGAINST SAME SEX MARRIAGE..
HOW DO YOU VIEW THE ISSUE?
DEMOCRATS FALL ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM.. AS WE JUST HEARD FROM THE PRESIDENT.. MR HORNE?
FOR BOTH OF YOU.. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ISSUE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TO THE UPCOMING ELECTION?
GENTLEMEN.. THANK YOU BOTH FOR SHARING YOUR PERSPECTIVES.
THIS WEEKEND YOU MAY HAVE PLANS TO CELEBRATE A GRADUATION OR START THE SUMMER OUT WITH A BIG FAMILY DINNER.
BUT BEFORE YOU GO... SEE HOW YOUR EATERY OF CHOICE SCORED DURING THE HEALTH INSPECTOR'S VISIT.
BRITTINY BARBER JOINS US WITH THIS WEEK'S RESTAURANT RATINGS.
WE'RE BACK IN HOUSTON COUNTY THIS WEEK... STARTING OFF WITH OUR LOWEST SCORES....
MCDONALD'S ON RUSSELL PKWY WARNER ROBINS... SCORED A 85... A "B". THAT'S DOWN A LETTER GRADE FROM THE 90 OR "A" THEY SCORED ON THEIR LAST INSPECTION.
ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.. FOOD WAS NOT KEPT AT THE PROPER COLD HOLDING TEMPERATURE ... AND UTENSILS... EQUIPMENT AND LINENS WERE NOT PROPERLY STORED... DRIED AND HANDLED.
WAFFLE HOUSE AT 15-01 WATSON BLVD WARNER ROBINS... SCORED AN 75... OR A "C"... THEY RECEIVED THAT AFTER GETTING AN 81 OR "B" ON THEIR LAST REPORT.
ACCORDING TO THE HEALTH INSPECTOR.... ADEQUATE HANDWASHING FACILITIES WERE NOT SUPPLIED AND ACCESSIBLE... WHICH IS A KNOWN RISK FOR FOODBORNE ILLNESS.
AND JALISCO GRILL IN PERRY... GOT A 74... A "C"... COMING AFTER AN 92... WHICH IS AN "A"... ON THE LAST INSPECTION.
AT THE RESTAURANT THERE WAS IMPROPER EATING... TASTING.. DRINKING, OR TOBACCO USE IN THE KITCHEN.
THAT'S A KNOWN RISK FACTOR FOR FOOD BORNE ILLNESSES.
NOW FOR A LOOK THE TOP SCORES OF THE WEEK..
THE OIL LAMP RESTAURANT ON GENERAL COURTNEY HODGES BLVD IN PERRY BROUGHT IN A 100 WHICH IS AN "A".. ON THEIR LAST INSPECTION THEY GOT A 91... ALSO AN "A".
SAIGON NOODLE HOUSE AT 402 HIGHWAY 247 IN BONAIRE.. SCORED AN "A"... A 97. .THAT'S AFTER A 98 ON THEIR LAST REPORT.
AND PO' MAN'S KICK UP SOUL FOOD.. ON NORTH COMMERCIAL CIRCLE IN WARNER ROBINS RAKED IN A 96..OR AN "A"... PREVIOUSLY THEY GOT ANOTHER 96.. .
JOIN US AGAIN TONIGHT AS WE AVERAGE OUR NOMINEES PAST FIVE SCORES TO GIVE YOU THE WINNER OF THIS WEEK'S GOLDEN SPATULA
FOR ALL YOUR RESTAURANT RATINGS... GO TO OUR WEBSITE 13WMAZ DOT COM.
YOU'LL FIND THE LINK UNDER THE FEATURES TAB ON THE HOMEPAGE.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.... WE'LL BE BACK TONIGHT AT 11.
BUT REMEMBER...THE NEWS IS ALWAYS ON AT 13WMAZ.COM !
THE EVENING NEWS IS UP NEXT.
HAVE A SAFE NIGHT EVERYONE.