Some GBI Criminal Cases In Jeopardy

Dozens of criminal cases in the state could be in jeopardy following the resignation of a state firearms examiner for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. The GBI says Bernadette Davy admitted to not fully testing guns. Firearms examiners are supposed to pull the trigger 12 times before testifying about a piece of evidence. Officials say Davy admitted she had pulled the trigger only 10 times. The GBI has contacted local prosecutors and offered to retest firearms handled by Davy. Some 20 requests for retesting have been received. Davy was an examiner with the GBI since 1991.

GBI Nabs Top Pot Prize

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab is being honored for an innovative marijuana testing program. GBI Director Vernon Keenan said Wednesday the August Vollmer Excellence in Forensic Science Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognizes the program developed by the lab's chemistry section for local law enforcement agencies in Georgia. More than 1,600 officers certified by the GBI analyze marijuana seized in their jurisdictions and testify in their localcommunities. That enables marijuana cases to move through the courts quicker than other controlled substance cases and has reduced the GBI lab's load of marijuana cases by 98 percent. The award will be presented in October at the annual IACP Conference in Denver.

(Associated Press)

Budget cuts may close GBI crime labs

Law-enforcement officials confer near a Georgia Bureau of Investigation mobile lab in the parking lot of Doctors Hospital, Columbus, GA., after a shooting rampage there on March 27, 2008. (Dave Bender)

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation may close two of its eight crime labs. Forensics labs in Midland near Columbus, and Moultrie, in South Georgia are on the chopping block.

The move comes after Governor Sonny Perdue asked all state agencies to cut their budgets by six percent.

The GBI’s John Bankhead says he’s still not sure what will happen to the employees:

"I don't know at this point how many it's going to affect. There will be some that will be offered transfers to headquarters lab, and maybe a regional lab, but at this point we'll have to make that decision once it gets closer to the date it would be effective – if it goes into effect."

The two labs cover a 46 county area. Evidence would be sent to the six remaining GBI labs in other parts of the state.

The legislature will vote on the proposed cuts in January. If approved, the labs would close by next July.

Click here for more GPB News coverage about the GBI.

GBI, FBI tackle cyber-crime

The Federal and Georgia Bureaus of Investigation are taking aim at cyber-crime at a new training center.

Officials say the recently established FBI and GBI facility will be used to investigate child pornography, fraud, identity theft and other computer-related crimes.

GBI Director Vernon Keenan says the training is specialized and the gear is high tech:

"We're talking about equipment that allows the investigator to interface with the service provider; software which allows the investigator to capture electronic images and to download data, so that it is held as evidence and can be presented in court."

The facility is located at FBI headquarters in Atlanta, and has held several training classes since it began operations two months ago. 70 police and sheriff's departments statewide are taking part in the program.

Keenan added that the facility will reduce training costs, since local law-enforcement officials will not have to travel to FBI headquarters in Washington.

The FBI officials say cyber-crime fraud costs the US $4 billion dollars annually.

Insecticide killed cattle in south Georgia--GBI on case

35 cattle that died on a Clinch County farm recently ingested an insecticide. Test results back from the state Department of Agriculture show three of the dead cattle had aldicarb in their system. Aldicarb is sold under the brand name Temik. It is an insecticide used on numerous crops.

From Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin:

"We tested feed from the trough where the cattle had eaten and found aldicarb. We also did a composite sample of ten unopened bags from the same lot of feed. This sample did not contain any traces of the insecticide," said Commissioner Irvin.

"This appears to be an isolated incident. The GBI (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) will investigate to determine if there was any criminal wrongdoing or if this was just a horrible accident. There was never any danger that any of the poisoned cows would get into the food chain," said Irvin.

The GBI was called into the case within the first 48 hours. Agent in charge of the investigation Jamie Karnes says they're looking at whether there was criminal intent in the poisoning.

"At this stage we're still going through information and identifying people that we might need to talk with for various reasons to get a better idea for what may have occurred, and for what reason".

The cows were buried accordance to state regulations with oversight by the state Department of Agriculture.

GBI criminal tip sheets go 'Minority Report'

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is joining seven other state law-enforcement agencies using an automated intelligence-gathering and evaluation system.

“We required a system that could help us improve our decision-making capabilities and operational effectiveness,” said Don Robertson, GBI Project Administrator. “We also manage vast amounts of data across multiple systems, so breaking down barriers to real-time data sharing is of paramount importance.”

The system analyzes numerous sources of collected data, according to the manufacturers, Memex, Inc., of Vienna, Va.

The system “enables law enforcement to efficiently predict, prevent and respond to threats in real-time,” company officials say, by allowing officials to sift through massive amounts of intelligence data, including emails tips, leads and other clues, in order to predict patterns of possible future criminal behavior.

Police departments in Albany, Cobb County, Columbus, Gwinnett County, the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office, and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office are also using the system, the company said in a release.

The system's touted prediction abilities echo the 2002 science fiction film, Minority Report, in which a “precrime” unit apprehended criminals just prior to the commission of their deeds.

In the movie, however, psychics were relied upon for their ability to visualize a violent crime before it occurred.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the GBI.

Allegedly Abducted Toddler Found Safe

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says a 3-year-old boy allegedly taken from his west Georgia home by his uncle was found safe today, and the uncle was arrested.

Robert Russell, III, was seen driving his nephew, John Jack Russell, Jr., Friday in a silver Chrysler Town & Country van with North Carolina tags, said Sergeant Marc Griffith with the Carroll County Sheriff's Office.

An updated e-mail alert sent out by the GBI around 1 p.m. Saturday said the boy and his uncle were safely in custody. The GBI says the uncle was arrested in Atlanta, though it was not immediately clear what, if anything, he was charged with.

According to the Georgia Department of Corrections Web site, the elder Russell was released from Scott State Prison in 1997 after serving two years on a robbery conviction. According to the DeKalb County's online offender database, he also has been arrested four separate times in DeKalb County from 2003 to 2007 -- once for a probation violation, twice for theft and once for failure to appear in court.

According to the Web site, Russell was last released from the DeKalb County Jail in October. Griffith said Russell's family told authorities he has a history of drug abuse.

(The Associated Press)

Bank robber killed in Helen

Authorities say a bank robbery suspect has been fatally shot in northeast Georgia after pulling a fake pistol on sheriff's deputies and a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent. GBI spokesman John Bankhead says the 44-year-old was identified by photographs as the man who held up a Dahlonega bank Thursday afternoon. He was traced to a house near the Chattahoochee River in Helen. Bankhead says the suspect fled across the river when a White County deputy approached him Friday afternoon, and he pulled the "replica" gun when a GBI agent and a Lumpkin County deputy closed in on the other side. Bankhead says multiple shots were fired and it is not known which one killed the suspect.

(Associated Press)

GBI probes alleged voter fraud in Dodge County

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into voting irregularities in Dodge County during the July 15th primary. According to a GBI official in Eastman, there have been complaints about fraudulent voting practices during last week's primary. The complaints were related to absentee voting and assisted voting. Georgia's Secretary of State's office confirms an investigation is underway, but would not provide further details.

This probe follows one from the mid 1990's when a huge voting scandal in Dodge County was uncovered. Then, 21 people were indicted of vote buying. Many pled guilty and a handful of residents went to jail. Since that scandal, Georgia's legislature has made it easier to vote absentee.

GBI Review: No Security Breeches of Vital Records

A Georgia Bureau of Investigation review of the State Office of Vital Records is in. State officials were concerned about security breeches after the chief of the office, Richard Wheat, was fired last month for his “gross mismanagement and a lack of professional integrity.” According to the GBI review there were no breeches and Wheat was just disorganized about records. The vital records office handles certificates of birth, death, marriage and divorce.

(The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

GBI Files Complaint Against Judge

The director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has filed a judicial complaint against Superior Court Judge Kristina Cook Connelly. In the complaint, Vernon Keenan alleges the high-profile judge violated judicial ethics by repeatedly cursing at law enforcement officers about their handling of a drug investigation. The complaint says Connelly was upset because she thought agents investigating illegal drug activity asked a confidential informant about her. GBI spokesman John Bankhead said the agency has never investigated Connelly for illegal drug activity.
-AP-

GBI Says No to Investigation While Docs Show More Peanut Problems

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will not investigate Peanut Corporation of America’s Blakely operations. The head of GBI says any criminal investigation is best handled at the federal level.

Meanwhile, federal documents showing the plant had sanitary and contamination problems as far back as 2001.

According to the Food and Drug Administration documents, peanut products processed at the Blakely facility contained Aflatoxins, a common fungus in peanuts that in very rare cases can cause death. The documents also show federal inspectors found cobwebs, dead insects and spaces large enough for rodents to crawl through in the facility.

In 2007, inspectors cited a leaky roof at the plant over where peanuts were stored. Many of the problems appear in more report. The documents raise questions as to why the plant was allowed to continue operating without correcting the findings.

Officials at the FDA are not commenting, and PCA says it broke no law, and brought all violations into compliance.

New legislation protects consumers

Governor Sonny Perdue signed three pieces of legislation to protect Georgia's consumers and prosecute identity thieves: House Bill 130, Senate Bill 388 and Senate Bill 24.

"This legislation will protect Georgia's consumers and prosecute identity thieves who would prey upon innocent, hardworking people," said Governor Sonny Perdue. "I want to thank the members of the General Assembly and consumer advocates who supported these important bills."

HB 130 enables Georgia's consumers to freeze their credit and keeps criminals from accessing their credit history. It also prevents unauthorized individuals from taking out new credit cards or loans. This legislation sets the credit freeze amount at $3 and strikes a reasonable balance between the fees credit bureaus need to charge while giving consumers the ability to quickly and effectively protect their credit.

SB 388, an initiative that Governor Perdue announced in January, establishes the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Identity Theft Task Force and transfers the authority to investigate identity theft from the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs to GBI. In addition to this legislation, Governor Perdue proposed and the General Assembly approved $1 million in the FY09 budget for the creation of this task force, which will support eight new agents.

SB 24 protects Georgia's consumers by increasing the penalties against identity theft by the use of Internet phishing, a method criminals use to steal an individual's identity through the Internet.

Explosion Update 2

According to officials, Lloyd Sylvester Cantrell tried to ram his SUV into the building. He loaded up the truck with natural gas, gasoline and propane. Vernon Keenan, director of the GBI, says the body is being transferred to the GBI facility in Decatur.

Cantrell was launching a suicide attack, according to a spokesman, after some dispute with a worker at the law firm.

Officials are looking at Cantrell’s property in North Whitfield County. An ATF spokesman says they are proceeding with caution. Law Enforcement officials are concerned the property might have hidden explosive devices, although they say there is no evidence yet to affirm that concern.

Perdue wants ID theft task force

Governor Perdue wants to hire 8 agents for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to start an identity theft division. Currently I.D. theft is investigated by the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs.

GBI director Vernon Keenan says Identity fraud is a problem that needs to be handled by his agency, which has more resources and can work with lawenforcement and sheriffs around Georgia.

"I.D. theft is not limited to one jurisdiction," says Keenan.

"A Georgia citizens personal information can be stolen in Tifton, used to open a bank account in Atlanta, and then to purchase jewelry in Dalton Utah California or even a foreign country. "

Governor Perdue says Georgia is 7th in the nation in identity theft per capita.

In 2006 he says the damage was 25 million in theft. Perdue is asking the legislature for 1 million dollars to fund the GBI's I.D. theft task force. The legislation is being carried by Republican Senator Joseph Carter of Tifton.

Telfair Co. Sheriff charged with corruption

Federal prosecutors have charged a Southeast Georgia sheriff with taking bribes and embezzling fine and bail money. The indictment against Telfair County Sheriff Jim Williamson comes more than a month after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation served search warrants on Williamson's house, office and the county jail. The G-B-I had been investigating Williamson since May.

U.S. Attorney Edmund Booth says Williamson is charged with taking funds intended for Telfair County courts and using them for his personal use. He's also charged with accepting bribes from people arrested in Telfair County in exchange for reducing or dismissing charges against them or granting them special priviledges while in the county jail. He faces federal charges because the alleged corruption involved the U-S mail.

Williams decided not to seek re-election and steps down this month after two-terms as Sheriff.

Three law officers face charges

A Georgia sheriff faces allegations of trying cover up a shooting. Towns County Sheriff Rudy Eller has admitted to lying to Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents about the July 9th shooting in Hiawassee, along the North Carolina border. The GBI says Eller pretended not to know anything about it, when in fact his Chief Deputy was responsible and told him about it. Investigators say Eller was protecting his Chief Deputy, who had fired shots into the home of his wife’s lover. Towns County Chief Deputy Eddie Osborn and another deputy are charged in the shooting.

Murder at Central State Hospital

A patient at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville has been arrested and charged with the murder of a fellow patient. The suspected killer was in the mental facility awaiting trial for another murder, and after being booked on the latest murder charges, he's back at the hospital.
Thirty year-old Saleeban Adan allegedly murdered Christopher Yates. Yates' body was found Sunday night in his room. He died from strangulation and blunt force trauma.
The murder took place in the Cook Building. It's where the state houses criminal defendants who are also mentally ill. On the outside it looks like a prison, but on the inside it's more like a hospital according to the GBI's Marc Mansfield who is helping investigate the murder.

"They're at liberty to go and visit with the other clients that are being housed there. The rooms themselves are not locked at all times and so one client could go and you know, visit and see another client."

Police say this may be Saleeban's third murder, and at issue is why he is still being allowed such close contact with fellow patients.
Saleeban was sent to Central State three months ago for evaluation after being accused of killing his cellmate in the Dekalb County Jail. He was in that jail awaiting trial on separate murder charges.
In 2001 he was found incompetent to stand trial in that murder, but seven years later a state psychologist ruled him competent. Later on another psychologist reversed that decision.
Saleeban was booked into the Baldwin County Jail in Milledgeville and then returned to Central State Hospital.

Towns deputy commits suicide; faced criminal charges

Towns County authorities say a deputy has killed himself after being charged, along with the sheriff and another deputy, in connection with a drive-by shooting.

Deputy Jessie Gibson's death comes just weeks before a grand jury was to hear aggravated assault and obstruction charges against the three officers.

Prosecutors say the three shot at a man thought to be having an affair with the wife of the other deputy, Eddie Osborn.

No one was hurt in that incident.

Towns County Sheriff Rudy Eller turned himself in to GBI agents last month.

He faces charges of lying to investigators, tampering with evidence, hindering and obstructing law enforcement officers and violating his oath as a public officer.

Hostage Standoff Continues in Madison

Multiple agencies are currently involved this morning in an armed standoff with a kidnapping suspect in Madison. Officials with the FBI, GBI and Morgan County Sheriff’s Department are on the scene trained on a motel room in the east Georgia town just off Interstate-20. The standoff has now extended to about 11 hours.

Authorities say 25-year-old David Dietz is a former South Carolina police officer--he’s accused in a Saturday night abduction of three people in South Carolina, including the man’s estranged wife and a seven-month-old infant.

Authorities in an updated briefing this morning say they are making progress in negotiations with the alleged abductor.