Fayetteville Police warn of new scam

The bleak job market has created a sense of desperation among many and a recent scam seeks to exploit that desperation. A Fayetteville man is out over $17,000 after responding to an on-line ad for employment.

The ad promised $1,000 for two weeks worth of research for an on-line concierge service. The Fayetteville victim completed the research and submitted his invoice for payment. He was requested to send his bank account information to the company to enable a direct deposit. He received a deposit of over $9,000 into his account a few days later.

He was then contacted, told he had accidentally been over paid and was asked to send $8,000 via Western Union to a person in Russia. Once the money was sent via Western Union, the money was immediately withdrawn from his bank account leaving him responsible for the original deposit plus the money he wired. The Fayetteville Police Department has issued the following advisement:

1) Do not respond to on-line or e-mailed ads from unknown or non established sources.

2) If you cannot meet your boss face to face, you do not want to work for them.

3) Never send money to anyone you do not know, PERIOD!

4) Check the Better Business Bureau, www.bbb.org, the Internet Crime Complaint Center, www.ic3.gov, and Federal Trade Commission, ftc.gov websites for information about businesses and complaints.

5) If something seems to good to be true, it probably is.

The Fayetteville Police Department is still investigating the incident. If anyone has been a victim of this scam, they are encouraged to contact Detective Mike Whitlow at the Fayetteville Police Department, (770) 461-4441.

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Fatal Armed Robbery Suspect Sought

Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Lamkin, FBI Atlanta, in conjunction with Dekalb County Police Chief W. O'Brien, requests the public's assistance in identifying and locating the individuals responsible for today's (March 15) armed robbery of a Garda Armored Car courier, which occurred in front of the Kroger Grocery Store, located in the Toco Hills Shopping Center, 2205 La Vista Road, Atlanta (Dekalb County), Georgia:

On Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at approximately 12:03 p.m., a gunman open fired on a Garda Armored Car courier while walking back to his truck, having serviced the Kroger Grocery Store, located at 2205 La Vista Road, Atlanta (Dekalb County), Georgia. The gunman approached the courier suddenly and shot him three times. The gunman, having obtained an undisclosed amount of money, then departed the scene in a vehicle being driven by another individual. That vehicle was recovered a short distance away from the scene and it was determined that the vehicle had been carjacked the day before in Snellville, Georgia. The critically wounded courier was transported to Grady Hospital where he later died. The gunman is described as being a black male, late 20's to early 30's in age, 5'11 in height, with a medium complexion.

Garda is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for today's robbery and for the recovery of the stolen funds. Garda representatives stated "We are deeply saddened by the death of our colleague in today's incident and extend our condolences to his family. We are cooperating with law enforcement in investigating the incident and therefore cannot provide any additional details."

It is believed that today's violent armed robbery is connected to the following Atlanta area armored car robberies:

On Friday, January 21, 2011, at approximately 9:00 a.m., two couriers for the Loomis Armor Car were servicing an ATM located at a Wells Fargo bank, 4798 Redan Road, Stone Mountain, Georgia. One of the two couriers, while outside of their vehicle and servicing the machine, was suddenly approached and, without warning, fired on multiple times by an armed assailant.

The assailant was able to take the courier's bag containing an undisclosed amount of money. Witnesses observed the gunman jump into a late 1980s or early 1990s Jeep Cherokee, white in color, and depart the area. The gunman is described as being a black male, 20s to late 30s in age, 5'8" - 5'11" in height, medium build, medium complexion, slight facial hair, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and brandishing a black semi-automatic .40 caliber handgun. The driver of the getaway vehicle is described as being a black male, 20s to 30s in age wearing a light colored jacket with a fur collar.

The wounded courier was transported to a local area hospital, where he underwent surgery as a result of the multiple gunshot wounds. Wells Fargo has announced a reward in this matter of up to $10,000.

The above robbery is believed to be connected to a string of five previous armored car courier robberies within the Metro Atlanta area as listed below:

On Tuesday, December 7, 2010, at approximately 11:15 a.m., two couriers for Dunbar Armored Car were inside the Mall of Georgia, Gwinnett County, servicing an ATM. One of the couriers was approached suddenly from behind and forced to the ground by an armed assailant. The second courier, observing this, fired on the assailant as he was departing the mall through a side door.

On Monday, November 29, 2010, at approximately 9:00 a.m., a courier for a Loomis Armored Car was robbed at gunpoint while servicing an ATM at the Wells Fargo Bank, located at 3520 Centerville Highway, Snellville, Georgia.

The courier was approached from behind by a single robber who placed a semi-automatic handgun to the courier's head. The robber departed the area with an undisclosed amount of money and was seen getting into the back seat of a light blue or silver vehicle, described as being possibly a Buick, Oldsmobile, or Jaguar.

On November 11, 2010, a robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier occurred at the Bank of America, located at 1500 Buford Highway, Buford, Georgia. In that robbery, the courier was robbed while servicing an ATM at that location. The courier was approached from behind by two black male suspects brandishing handguns. One of the robbers was described as having a gold upper tooth. The robbers were seen departing that robbery in a blue Chevrolet Tahoe, which was recovered shortly after the robbery and was determined to have been reported stolen in Atlanta.

On October 7, 2010, a 1:00 p.m. robbery of a Dunbar Armored courier occurred inside of a Mex-America Latino store, located at 641 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, Georgia. In that robbery, two black males, one with long black dreadlocks, waited inside of the above store for the courier to arrive. Upon arrival, the two robbers confronted the courier with handguns

On September 14, 2010, a robbery of a Garda Armored courier occurred at the Bank of America, located at 1775 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, Georgia. Two black males approached the courier while he was servicing an ATM at that location. Both robbers were brandishing semi-automatic handguns. During that robbery, the courier was forced to the ground and his sidearm was taken by the robbers.

Anyone with information regarding this matter should contact the Atlanta FBI at (404) 679-9000.

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Former Senior U.S. District Judge Sentenced to One Month in Prison for Misuse of Government Property and Drug Offenses

Former Senior U.S. District Court Judge Jack T. Camp Jr., was sentenced today (March 11) in U.S. District Court in Atlanta to one month in prison for unlawful possession of controlled substances charges and unlawful conversion of government property, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Lamkin of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, and Director Vernon Keenan of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Camp, 67, a former Senior U.S. District Judge in the Northern District of Georgia, pleaded guilty in November 2010 to an information charging him with one count of unlawful possession of controlled substances, one count of aiding and abetting the unlawful possession of controlled substances by a previously convicted drug felon, and one count of conversion of government property. Camp was sentenced today in the Northern District of Georgia by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan for the District of Columbia. Judge Hogan was sitting by designation in the Northern District of Georgia.

As part of his plea, Camp admitted that between May 2010 and Oct. 1, 2010, he unlawfully used and possessed cocaine, marijuana, and Roxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance. Camp also admitted to giving an individual, whom he knew had a prior felony drug conviction, money to purchase cocaine, Roxycodone and marijuana for their joint use. Camp admitted that he unlawfully gave the individual a U.S. District Court laptop computer for her personal use. Camp was arrested on Oct. 1, 2010, after attempting to purchase drugs from an undercover FBI agent posing as a drug dealer. Camp further resigned his commission as Senior U.S. District Judge. On Feb. 28, 2011, Camp voluntarily surrendered his license to practice law in the state of Georgia.

Camp was also sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine and $825 in restitution. He was sentenced to one year of supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Deborah Sue Mayer and Tracee Joy Plowell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. The case was investigated by the FBI Atlanta’s Public Corruption Squad. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation provided substantial assistance in this case.

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Former DeKalb Police Lieutenant Indicted for Bribery

WILLIE DAREN DURRETT, 45, of Atlanta, was arraigned today (March 7) before United States Magistrate Judge C. Christopher Hagy. DURRETT faces federal charges of accepting bribes in return for taking official action as a sergeant, and later as a lieutenant, with the DeKalb County Police Department. Co-defendant DONALD E. FRANK, who was previously indicted for accepting bribes while he served as deputy chief of police for DeKalb County, is also named in the indictment and faces the same charges. AMIN BUDHWANI previously pleaded guilty to paying bribes to FRANK.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of the case, “Our community expects and deserves police officers who will serve the citizens and not sell their badge to someone holding out cash. In this case, the officer placed his personal and financial interests ahead of the public he was sworn to serve. Combatting public corruption will continue to be a top priority for this office.”

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated, “The FBI is fully prepared to undertake these types of public corruption investigations and fully understands the impact that these types of activities can have, if left unchecked, on the proper operation of a government or police agency. The public deserves better than the actions of this officer and is reminded that the FBI should be contacted with regard to any information involving police or government corruption.”

“I support the continued efforts of federal authorities to efface public corruption,” said DeKalb County Police Chief William O’Brien. “Willie Durrett resigned from the DeKalb County Police Department weeks before this indictment and prior to our agency having the opportunity to take disciplinary action. It is reprehensible that this former lieutenant chose to violate the law instead of upholding it. It is acts such as this that undermine law enforcement's efforts to maintain public trust.”

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: DURRETT accepted bribes from BUDHWANI on three separate occasions in 2007 and 2008. DURRETT resigned this past Monday.

Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

DURRETT and FRANK were indicted by a federal grand jury on March 1, 2011. BUDHWANI was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 18, 2010, and pleaded guilty on June 1, 2010.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Macon Man Receives Life Sentence for Seeking Sex with 7-Year-Old Girl

RUSSELL E. WORSHAM, 44, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge J. Owen Forrester to serve the rest of his life in federal prison on the charge of using the Internet to attempt to entice a child to engage in sexual activity.

"This defendant trolled the Internet searching for child victims," said Sally Quillian Yates, United States Attorney. "His conduct was more than mere words. A brave victim testified during trial that from the time she was 9 until she was 12, this dangerous predator repeatedly sexually assaulted her. On the day of his arrest, the defendant intended to rape a 7-year-old girl. But for the hard work of the investigators, the defendant likely would still be out there, searching for his next victim. Today's sentence serves as a stern warning to those who might follow in this defendant's path. This office will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute those who use the Internet to victimize children."

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated, "The FBI has, over the years, dedicated many investigative resources to child exploitation matters such as this through its Innocent Images and Crimes Against Children programs, with the overall goal of protecting young, vulnerable children from those who would exploit them and do them harm. Mr. Worsham is a child predator who will no longer be in a position to harm children and the FBI is proud of the role it played in removing this individual from our streets."

WORSHAM was sentenced to life in prison. WORSHAM was convicted of these charges on September 21, 2010, after a five-day trial.

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October 2008, WORSHAM befriended a woman online whom he believed to have a 7-year-old daughter. This woman—actually an undercover FBI task force agent—told WORSHAM that she was willing to make her fictitious daughter available to WORSHAM for sex. Over the next three months, in hours of online chats, over two dozen e-mails, and five telephone calls, WORSHAM engaged in graphic and sexually explicit conversations about his planned rape of the 7-year-old girl. These online communications and telephone conversations culminated in WORSHAM arranging to meet with the mother and her 7-year-old daughter. Agents arrested him when he showed up for the meeting. Agents recovered crayons, a spanking tool, a web camera, a studded dog collar, and virtual child pornography from WORSHAM's van. During trial, a victim testified that when she was between the ages of 9 and 12, WORSHAM had repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

This case was investigated by agents and officers of the Atlanta Safe Child Task Force, which is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Division.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kim S. Dammers and Ryan Scott Ferber prosecuted the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Polk County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Operating a Chop Shop

JOHNNY LEE SUMMERVILLE, 61, of Cedartown, Georgia, was sentenced today (March 1) by United States District Judge Harold L. Murphy on charges that he operated a chop shop, removed and altered vehicle identification numbers on motor vehicles, possessed motor vehicles with altered and removed vehicle identification numbers, and possessed a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. SUMMERVILLE was sentenced to serve five years in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. SUMMERVILLE was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $191,264.88. In connection with the drug conviction, the court imposed a $200,000 forfeiture money judgment.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, "Under the guise of operating a legitimate auto salvage business, this defendant bought and sold stolen motor vehicles and heavy equipment. By doing so, he provided incentive to thieves who would steal motor vehicles and heavy equipment with knowledge that they could sell the stolen vehicles and equipment to the defendant. The Safe Streets Task Force of Northwest Georgia will continue to address the problem of vehicle thefts in Northwest Georgia by investigating and prosecuting individuals who operate chop shops like the defendant did. The sentence handed down today reflects the serious nature of this offense."

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between January 2001 and October 6, 2009, SUMMERVILLE operated a chop shop at his junk yard located at 3870 Collard Valley Road, Cedartown, Georgia, and would, from time to time, obtain motor vehicles that he knew were stolen. He would then purchase a wrecked or salvage vehicle that was close to the same make, model, and year as the stolen vehicle, but that had a clear title, and would remove the VIN from the salvage vehicle. To conceal that the stolen vehicle was in fact stolen, he replaced the stolen car's VIN with the VIN plate from the wrecked or salvage vehicle. Then he sold the stolen vehicle with the "clear" VIN to a buyer who believed that there was a clear title for the vehicle. SUMMERVILLE also carried out the same VIN-swapping scheme with regard to stolen heavy equipment.

SUMMERVILLE was the subject of an undercover investigation conducted by the members of the Safe Streets Task Force of Northwest Georgia. During the undercover investigation, the informant and an undercover police officer purchased a stolen vehicle and a stolen piece of heavy equipment from SUMMERVILLE. The informant also reported that SUMMERVILLE was distributing a controlled substance at his business. On two occasions the informant and the undercover agent bought from SUMMERVILLE quantities of Dihydrocodeinone, which is a Schedule III controlled substance.

On October 6, 2009, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers with the Safe Streets Task Force of Northwest Georgia executed a search warrant at Summerville's business During the execution of the search warrant, the officers located and seized numerous stolen motor vehicles and heavy equipment. The officers also seized a number of other motor vehicles and heavy equipment with VIN plates that were either altered or removed.

On December 9, 2010, SUMMERVILLE pleaded guilty to one count of operating a chop shop and one count of distributing a controlled substance.

The investigation was conducted by law enforcement officers with the Safe Streets Task Force of Northwest Georgia, which is comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Polk County Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, and the Bartow County Drug Task Force. Special Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and police officers with the Floyd County Police Department assisted in the investigation.

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