Deputies say Milledgeville woman arrested while illegally carrying 9mm handgun

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:

SHOPPER THIEFING GROUP: On September 10, Sergeant Sonyia Wallace-Burdette was dispatched to Walmart, where a loss prevention officer observed four teenagers stealing merchandise. One of them had taken a child’s backpack and the others were filling it with polo shirts. One teenager put a shirt over the one he was wearing. They paid for the backpack and as the four were walking out the door, they were arrested. Store officials declined to charge the three 17-year-old suspects, two from Watkinsville and one from Athens. However, charges were filed against the 18-year-old from Bishop. He was handcuffed and transported to jail in a patrol unit. Parents were called to pick up the other suspects.

TWO ARRESTS: On September 11, Sheriff Bill Reynolds was driving on Highway 316 when he spotted a Ford Focus. A registration check showed the owner was wanted by Oconee County. After a traffic stop, the 27-year-old man driving the car was not the wanted man. However, he did not have a driver’s license, so he was taken to jail.

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FIREARM OFFENSES: On September 13, Corporal Lex Ogan was patrolling Highway 441 north of Watkinsville when he ran the license plate of a Chevrolet Malibu and found that the female owner of the car was wanted for a felony probation violation in Jackson County. After a traffic stop, he discovered that the car owner was the passenger. The 35-year-old Milledgeville woman explained that she had been in an accident and was injured. During the conversation, she revealed that she was unhappy with her attorney. The driver, a 48-year-old Milledgeville man, gave a name, which was later proven to be false. He eventually admitted to giving his deceased brother’s name, but when the officer called the sister, she revealed that their deceased brother had a different name. Deputy Sheriff Seth McCart arrived and searched the car and found a purse with a 9mm pistol loaded with 14 rounds. The man said he bought the gun at Franklin’s in Athens and that it was legal. Then he changed his mind and said he bought it at Academy Sports. Ogan checked with Academy Sports and determined that the woman had indeed purchased the gun there in May 2021. Because she was a convicted felon and not legally allowed to carry a gun, the officer charged her with a firearms offense. The man was also jailed for giving false information to the officer.

DOMESTIC ASSAULT: On September 14, Sergeant Sonyia Wallace-Burchett was dispatched to a home in the Pinewood Mobile Home Park off Old Epps Bridge Road. She encountered a woman who had been punched in the face by a 49-year-old man. The suspect was no longer at the scene. A child reported witnessing her mother being assaulted. A family member of the suspect called to inform the deputy that the suspect was in a nearby parking lot. The officer, along with four other deputies, responded and found a crowd of approximately 15 people gathered in the parking lot. They were primarily family members of the suspect and were “very upset” when the deputy arrested the man. The deputy told the crowd that it was her decision to press charges for assault, not the victim. However, she later learned that some had made threats against the victim, and the officer warned that these people would be arrested if anything happened.

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This article was originally published on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Milledgeville man has many explanations for ID, gun