Carter gets probation for identity
theft, fraud charges
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
A Homer
man who stole an elderly gentleman’s identity and racked up more than $70,000
in charges in his name got five years probation.
On July
28, Judge Jenifer Clason sentenced Fontonio Carter to seven years at hard labor
and pay a fine of $2,000 plus court costs for unauthorized use of an access
card, bank fraud and identity theft. That sentence was suspended and he was placed
on five years active probation.
According
to the judgment, Carter must also submit to random drug tests as a part of his
probation. He must also remain drug free and alcohol free as well as submit to
searches of his person, his home, car and other property owned by him.
Carter
will also have to pay restitution as a part of his probation. He was also given
credit for time served as he was incarcerated since his arrest in April 2008.
On January 10, 2008 the Homer Police Department received a complaint from Capital One Bank in
Homer where the branch manager told police that she suspected identity theft
and fraud.
Reports
show that Carter had purchased a vehicle at Holmes Honda, who contacted the
victim’s bank about the purchase. The bank’s branch manager notified the
external fraud division at the bank, and had the individual check a savings
account opened in the victim’s name.
On
January 11, Detective James Lewis of the Caddo-Shreveport Financial Crimes Task
Force, then known as the Caddo-Shreveport White Collar Crimes Unit, arrested
Carter on one count of forgery. Carter deposited a forged check in the amount
of $20,000 at Capital One Bank in Caddo Parish. He was booked at the Caddo Correctional Center, where he later bonded out.
An
arrest warrant and search warrant were obtained through the Second Judicial
District Court on January 28, 2008. The search warrant was executed on February 1, 2008, where officers discovered several credit card applications in the
victim’s name, and also discovered where Carter had opened different accounts
in the victim’s name as well.
It is
believed Carter, a former booking officer at the Claiborne Parish Detention Center, gained access to the victim’s personal information when the victim
was booked into the detention center on DWI charges in September 2007.
“The
victim is a 76-year-old male,” Homer Police Chief Russell Mills said in an
earlier interview with The Guardian-Journal. “Through the investigation, we
learned that Carter was the booking officer at the detention center, which
enabled him to gather pertinent information on the victim. He had all this
information right there, and in turn, he took this information and utilized it
to gain entry to his accounts.”
Carter
had made payments on a couple of open accounts that he’d acquired through the
victim’s name. Once payments stopped, the bills that were being sent to
Carter’s address began going to the victim’s address, which is what led to the
complaint.
In
other court news, on September 2, Clason sentenced Willie Young Jr. to three
years of hard labor, with credit for time served. That sentence was suspended.
He was placed on three years active probation on charges of possession of
cocaine and he must forfeit the firearm, a 25 caliber weapon, seized.
According
to the bill of information, he was originally charged with one count of
possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance (CDS), cocaine, and
possession of a weapon while in possession of a Schedule I CDS, ecstasy. He was
charged June 13, 2008.
On
probation, Young Jr. will have to pay a monthly probation fee as well as a
$1,000 fine plus court costs. He must submit to random drug testing as well as
attend one hour of substance abuse counseling per week. He is to remain drug
free and alcohol free during the term of his probation and submit to searches
of his person, home, vehicle and other property owned by him.
On that
same date, Young Jr. pled guilty to possession of marijuana, first offense. He
was sentenced to six months in jail with credit for time served. That sentence
was suspended, and he was placed on one year of active supervised probation. He
is to pay a fine of $500, or serve 60 days in jail. He was also to complete a
court approved driver’s improvement, substance abuse program within 60 days and
refrain from owning or possessing firearms or other dangerous weapons.
In
other crime news, the suspect in the case of the Pak-A-Bag robbery has been
captured. According to Homer Police reports, Carlton Gillis, of Homer, was
arrested September 2, at the Homer Police Department on charges of aggravated
armed robbery. Bond was set at $100,000.
According
to reports, Gillis was arrested by Captain Donald Malray after he was
identified him on the surveillance video of the incident. It is also reported
that evidence related to the case was found near the home of one of Gillis’
relatives.
Reports
say that Gills was armed with a handgun when he entered the convenience store
and took an undisclosed amount of cash.
In an
unrelated incident, Thomas N. Faulk, 24, of Homer, was arrested on a charge of
domestic abuse battery.
On
September 2, Officer Scott Glenn was dispatched to the 3600 block of Dutchtown Road in reference to a domestic disturbance.
Upon
arrival, Glenn observed a man, later identified as Faulk, walking away from the
residence. Glenn stopped him and took him back to the residence of the
complainant, at which time, the complainant told police they’d gotten into an
argument and Faulk caused physical harm to her. Officer Glenn then photographed
the injuries the victim had sustained during the argument and placed them into
evidence.
After
interviewing both the victim and Faulk, Faulk was placed under arrest and
transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center for booking.
GBT offers reward for bank robber
The Guardian-Journal
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey announced that Gibsland Bank and Trust is now
offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction
of the person or persons responsible for the September 1 armed robbery of their
Athens branch office.
Sheriff
Bailey is asking anyone with information to contact Detective Ben Booth at the
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Criminal Investigative Division at 318-927-9800
or 318-927-2011. You may also contact Gibsland Bank and Trust at their main
office at 318-243-6228 or the Athens branch at 318-258-3123.
On the
morning of September 1, Bailey said that when an employee of the bank arrived
for work that morning, the perpetrator came out from behind the bushes
brandishing a weapon and when she opened the door, he went in behind her.
According
to witness statements, the robber told her to open the vault, at which time he
took an undisclosed amount of cash. When he got the cash, he retreated through
the same door he came in, getting into a small, dark blue sedan (four-door)
vehicle which traveled east on Hwy. 518.
For
safety reasons, Mt. Olive Christian School and Athens High School were locked
down. Within an hour or two, he said, both schools were released from lockdown.
The man
seen in the photo above is described as being approximately 5’10”, 125 pounds,
wearing a black shirt, green camo pants with a black hat.
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is assisting in the case, Bailey said.
In
June, four people were charged with attempted robbery and related charges after
attempting to steal money from the same bank. Later a fifth person was arrested
in relation to that case.
The
suspects fled on foot, where three were caught on Abercrombie Road. Two of the
three fled into the woods and the third was apprehended. Due to interagency
efforts in the investigation, four more were arrested later in June. Another
was arrested in Webster Parish. Later in the investigation, a sixth person was
arrested and charged.
Fleming discusses healthcare reform
The Guardian-Journal photo/Jenni Williams
Congressman John Fleming, R-Minden, spoke
to the Homer Lions Club on Thursday, August 27, on the issue of healthcare
reform, among other important issues.
Jenni Williams, The Guardian-Journal
Congressman
John Fleming addressed the Homer Lion’s Club Thursday, August 27, about the
many issues the country is currently facing, including health care.
The congressman
named just a few of the many things he believes the government is wasting money
on that could be much more useful in helping the country get out of the current
recession.
Millions
of dollars are being spent on protecting swamp mice, learning the sex habits of
specific rodents and considering an Amtrack between California and Las Vegas, when there are already multiple ways to travel between the two areas.
“It’s
clear other countries are rising out of this recession much faster than we are.
So its clear that this stimulus bill is very wasteful,” Fleming said about one
of the many stimulus bills proposed at the moment.
Another
bill the Democrats are wanting passed is a “Cap and Trade” bill, where
government would have its finger in the trade industry. In Spain, the only country implementing a “Cap and Trade” bill similar to the one currently on
the table, utility bills are 40 percent above the base line.
If this
bill passes Senate, since it has already passed the House of Representatives,
utility taxes will increase.
Fleming
said with these bailouts, government has taken over major corporations that
have always been privately run. This stimulus bill passed after only four hours
in the House of Representatives.
Legislators
are trying to do the same thing with healthcare issues.
“Thankfully,
the American people are starting to wake up and become aware of what government
is trying to do,” he said.
This
particular piece of legislature, if passed, would have more than 20 percent of
the United States economy under the government’s thumb, he said.
Currently,
the healthcare bill has not been passed due to the August recess of congress,
which is exactly what the Republicans want - more time for legislators to have
to actually read the bill.
“I am
very much in favor of healthcare reform. In no way, though, am I in favor of
government-run healthcare. Reform does not mean the government takes control of
healthcare,” Fleming said.
He goes
on to say the United States has 47 million people without health insurance, who
include 10 to 13 million illegal immigrants, but the only way to solve that
problem is through immigration.
Another
10 to 17 million without insurance are what Fleming terms “invincibles,” young,
healthy adults who can afford and are offered insurance but choose not to have
it. They spend their money on play things, he said.
“The
only way insurance can really work is for the people who don’t need it, to put
it in there for people that do need it. The problem is, you never know when
you’re going to need it, that’s why we all get into it,” the congressman said.
Then
there are 5 to 10 million Americans that qualify for Medicare and Medicaid and
never apply or sign up for it. Government doesn’t take the time to find these
people and get them to sign up.
The last
10 million core Americans who want insurance but cannot afford it or have very
small resources to obtain it are the people who need Congress’ help more than
any, Fleming said. They need a reform that will make it so that any
pre-existing conditions do not affect qualifications for private insurance.
A
reform is also needed that allows individuals to purchase insurance across
state lines, which is currently not allowed. Fleming wants a healthcare reform
where businesses could negotiate for discounts, something that is also not
allowed currently.
It is
not the insurance industry’s fault that healthcare insurance is this way now.
It is Congress’ fault, he says.
Fleming
goes on to say he wants a reform that puts all of these decisions in the
public’s hands, not in the government’s.
Everyone
should be aware that anyone showing up at any emergency room in the country
must be treated according to the law. So, it is not accurate to say that some
people do not have access to health care.
That
isn’t to say that those people will not pay their bill; people who are paying
private healthcare costs are covering part of that bill, along with portions of
Medicare and Medicaid.
This is
exactly why government is saying America needs a government run healthcare
system, he said. This means private citizens with private insurance will be
charged more and more over time.
After
several years, only the elite or very wealthy would be able to afford private
insurance.
Fleming
went on to discuss the rising debt of small town hospitals and how they would
be affected by this government-run option.
Hospitals
are already waiting on payments by Medicare and Medicaid. The government is
constantly cutting its contributions to these two insurers. Fleming says
Medicare will run out of money in a mere 80 years.
The
average American’s healthcare premiums paid each month are what helps subsidize
Medicare and Medicaid. If these premiums are raised more and more over time,
more and more people will continue to opt out of private insurance.
He continued,
this current healthcare bill is not helping the average private citizen
continue with private insurance. With a government run healthcare industry,
pretty soon the healthcare providers would be just a sliver of what they once
were.
Citizens
with Medicare Advantage would be out of luck, because the president says that
he would have to cut $500 billion dollars from this program to help pay for the
government-run healthcare program that will have a start-up cost of $1.6
trillion dollars.
Twenty-five
percent of Medicare recipients are part of the Medicare Advantage and would
lose all benefits with this new healthcare bill.
After
quickly brushing over a few more points on which Fleming is against the
government run healthcare bill, he spent a few minutes answering questions from
the attendees.
The
next meeting of the Homer Lion’s Club will be this Thursday, September 10, with
Lions Club members going to David Wade Correctional Center for lunch and a tour
of the facility. Please remember, club members will meet at the Delta Interiors
parking lot (the old Wal-Mart parking lot) at 11:45 a.m. Transportation to the
prison will be provided. Lions club members are asked not to bring the
following items: knives, guns, keys or drugs of any kind.
Butterfly Festival this Saturday
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
The
11th annual Butterfly Festival - Celebration of Butterflies will be held
Saturday, September 12.
Kicking
off the day’s festivities will be the annual Butterfly Festival Parade. Line-up
will begin at 9a .m. behind the First United Methodist Church of Haynesville,
with the parade to follow at 9:30.
Parents
may accompany younger children in the parade. Golf carts, wagons, ATVs and
other similar vehicles may be used in the parade.
The
annual Parade Pet Contest will be held for the largest pet participating in the
parade, along with smallest, most unusual and best decorated. There will be a
short form to pre-register each animal before the parade begins.
Judging
will be on Main Street during the parade for the pets, costumes and decorated
floats. So each entry is asked to please stop in front of the judges’ booth for
them to observe each entry. To enter the Butterfly Festival Parade, please
contact Linda Knox at (318)624-1606.
Prizes
and trophies will be awarded at the opening ceremony immediately following the
parade at the Fair Complex.
All
children dressed in costumes will be admitted free to the Festival when
entering the Fair Barn.
Inside
the Fair Barn will be many activities for adults and children alike, including
creative fun for the children inside the Children’s Activity Room.
Many
craft and food vendors will be on display inside the main room of the Fair
Barn, along with a flower exhibit and contest; take home butterfly towers; and
plants, books, posters and t-shirts, all featuring butterflies.
Found
on the grounds outside of the Fair Barn will be many outdoor activities
including the Bumper-to-Bumper Kiddie Rides, by James Roach; a spacewalk for
the children, by Haynesville Youth Council; sidewalk art competition, by Suzy
Allen; Karaoke under the pavilion; and a water conservation display trailer.
Food
and craft vendor booths are available for the day. A charge of $25 will be
required for a 10x10 booth inside the air-conditioned interior of the Fair Barn
and a $15 charge for a 12x12 booth under the covered pavilion. Tables will be
$5 each.
Contact
Pat Bourn at (318)624-1216 to reserve one of these spaces.
Interested
individuals can enter the annual nature photography contest by calling Mary
Anna Perryman at (318)377-1006.
Admission
for the day will be $2 for adults, and $1 for children ages six to 18. Children
under the age of six will be admitted for free, along with children dressed in
costume.
RV-hook
ups are available, but please call ahead to (318)624-0911.
For
more information on the Butterfly Festival, contact Loice Kendrick Lacy at
(318) 624-1929 or (870)234-4910.span>
Curry announces candidacy for District 1
I am
Willie C. Curry; many know me as “Hog Head.” I want to be your councilman. I am
the son of W.C. Curry and Hattie Burns Curry. I am the brother of Frances and James C. Curry and the husband of Retha Pearl Walker Curry.
I was
born September 16, 1943 and raised here in Homer. After graduating Mayfield High School in 1961, my ideals of freedom and what I though was best for my
family, my home and my country inspired me to serve my country in the United
States Marine Corps, where I fought in Vietnam.
Thereafter,
I returned to Homer intent on fulfilling my lifelong dream of being a high
school history teacher and a football coach. My tours of duty in Vietnam provoked an irreversible change in my life and what has remained constant through
my 65 years is a strong belief system that demands standing fast. There is in
me flames of conviction kindled and rekindled by a desire to seek justice, to
stand with the weak, comfort the down trodden, befriend the outcast and be on
the side of fairness.
Admittedly
and unapologetically, I possess a special affinity for my home and my people –
an unyielding desire to see the people of Homer live in peace and harmony and
experience tranquility. I am a candidate for councilman because I want to see
Homer fulfill its potential. As your representative, I believe I can help
fulfill those potentials. My faith is constant and my work is endless –
evermore before me.
I want
to activate and invigorate the youth of our community. I believe in the youth
of our community and I believe that they deserve more from us. I want to
demonstrate my commitment to the elderly because I know they are an essential
and integral part of our community. I want to invest in our workforce, because
I believe we can improve our social cohesion through economic independence.
I will
use my position to develop to their full potential and not become just another
statistic. We need vocational training centers to empower our ready and able
workforce. We are capable of learning. We need trades such as carpentry, welding,
auto mechanic, cement and finishing and plumbing. These skills will prove
beneficial to our community and I will fight to deliver them to Homer.
I stand
far from perpetuating the same time worn lethargic approach to economic
development; my efforts will move us forward. I ask the citizens of District 1:
How long will Homer be defined by and affected by perceptions of complacency
and violence? Complacency and violence has become a reality for many of us. We
deserve a different reality – a new reality. One that acknowledges what is good
and positive about our youth; a different reality that will not bow or
acquiesce to forces detrimental to our growth, change and our collective well
being. We need a new reality that will not permit us to be misled by authors of
discord and confusion. We need a reality that nurtures the elderly, protects
children and embraces our youth. We must move beyond empty rhetoric, half baked
promises and the obvious nonsense that is evident in those who wishes to be
seen and heard.
I am
not asking the citizen of Homer to suddenly view me as a politician, rather, I
am asking the citizens so help me maintain my lifelong status as a servant –
and help me help Homer.
I
cannot stifle rumors and controversies created by those who may think they know
me. I know this: “it is an unwise farmer who sows peas and hopes to reap
watermelons.” Harvest time shall come most assuredly. I welcome rumors and
gossip because it forces rumor makers, those who seek your ears and confidence
to be honest and candid about their own devilment and mischief. A wise man once
said, “An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.”
I
accept full responsibility for my errors, and as your councilman, I expect you
to point out my errors. Without debate, no representative body can succeed or
survive. We need greater attention to an improved understanding of our place in
the parish, as well as the state of Louisiana. We have proven our ability to
endure difficult times. Let us now work together to repair our social
conscience and do our part as couriers of faith in one another. I believe if
each of us decide upon such a task. It will be to you whom I look for counsel
and strength – confident that Homer Louisiana will reach its full potential.
“Give
change a chance.”
On
October 17, give change a chance and vote #3 Willie “Hog Head” Curry.
Reminder: La. 3062 closed for Homer
Bypass work
The Guardian-Journal photo/Jenni Williams
This is to advise that on Monday, August
31, a contractor began reconstruction of a section of La. 3062 at the Homer
Bypass. La. 3062 is closed to thru traffic. This work should be completed in
about a month, weather permitting. Detour: Eastbound traffic will be detoured
along La. 2 to U.S. 79. Westbound traffic will be detoured along U.S. 79 to La. 2. When work is complete on La. 3062, work will begin on Claiborne Parish
Road 332 (Dutchtown Road) at the Homer Bypass. This parish road will be
closed for approximately one month, weather permitting.
Summerfield student suffers tragedy
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
Family,
friends and complete strangers are rallying around a Bernice family after a
recent four-wheeler accident on August 25.
Nine-year-old
Wesley Harty, a recent transfer student to Summerfield High School from Union
Christian Academy, was riding his four-wheeler around his parent’s chicken farm
in Summerfield when the ATV struck a piece of farm equipment and he became
impaled on a metal rod.
Harty’s
father, Robert, was horrified to discover his son, who normally wears a helmet,
with the metal rod embedded approximately two and a half inches into the
third-grader’s front, right side of his skull.
Robert
and wife, Angelia, immediately rushed Harty to the closest hospital, Tri-Ward
in Bernice, where he was stablized and transferred by helicopter to LSU Health
Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in Shreveport, where, at that time, he was listed in
critical condition.
After
many days of ups and downs, in which Harty’s intercraniel pressure rose
alarmingly and a small piece of his skull cap had to be removed to relieve the
pressure, the nine-year-old is beginning to show great improvement.
Four
days went by before he was gradually weaned from some of the medications
keeping him in a medical coma, but shortly he began opening his eyes and
responding to doctors by proudly giving everyone a thumbs up.
Less
than a week after the accident occurred, Harty, although weak on his left side
due to the brain trauma, is speaking, watching cartoons and playing his trusty
PlayStation Portable.
While
still at LSUHSC, Harty was finally moved out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
and into a private room. He will be facing more surgeries to replace the piece
of bone flap removed from his skull and reconstructive surgery in the future.
As of press time, those procedures have not be scheduled.
“It has
been so amazing the good that has come out of something so tragic,” Harty’s
aunt Connie Urrey said. “Everyone has been so supportive, including the school
in Summerfield, although Wesley had only been attending there for three days at
the time of the accident, and our church family at Pisgah.
“In
fact, someone from our church started a page on Facebook titled “I’m praying
for Wesley Harty” and complete strangers as far away as Egypt have joined the cause.”
His
aunt continued, “His parents are being touched and blessed by so many people.
Complete strangers have visited them in the hospital. In fact, a young man who
is in nursing school spent more than an hour sitting at Wesley’s bedside, just
to visit him.”
The
young man, Brandon, was in a similar accident when he was just eight years old.
The family feels his story can show Harty why this accident occurred and how
God will allow it to become a blessing in disguise.
Area
communities have come together to show this family its support.
Two
blood drives were held this past week in Harty’s honor. The first was held at Union General Hospital on Saturday, August 28 where more than 60 pints of blood were
donated.
The
second blood drive was held last Thursday, September 3 at Tri-Ward Hospital in Bernice, where more than 46 pints were given.
A
medical fund has been set up in Robert and Angelia Harty’s names at Community
Trust Bank to help offset the many medical expenses the family will face.
Students
in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade at Summerfield High School sponsored a
‘Blue Jean Day’ on Friday, September 4. Each student wanting to wear blue jeans
to school that day was asked to bring $1 to donate to the Harty family.
The
kids rallied around and raised more than $460, with many of the students
bringing more than the requested $1.
As of
Tuesday morning, Harty made it through the night without any of the pain
medication he had been on the entire hospital stay. He has a long road ahead of
him, but is already making great strides back to a normal life in the day of a
nine-year-old.
The
Facebook site was revisited to see just how many had joined and how far
reaching it had become.
Individuals
in 21 different states, as far away as Oregon, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, and even Washington, D.C. had joined Harty’s cause.
The two farthest countries included Egypt and the Philippines.
When
first opening the site, there were 749 members and after spending just a
handful of minutes viewing how many different states were involved, the total
had jumped to 751 members.
While a
terrible tragedy, this accident has affected a great many people and
communities and brought Claiborne Parish to a uniform goal - helping out one of
its own.
When teen dating turns violent
JIMMY DEAN, Feature Writer
Mary
Ellen Gamble, Rural Advocate for DART (Domestic Abuse Resistance Team) in
Claiborne Parish, recently noted, “Sadly, domestic abuse is a problem all
across the our country. Some view domestic abuse as a private matter to be kept
within the family. Others see it as a problem between spouses. Regardless, many
are surprised that statistics show teen dating violence is on the rise.”
Gamble
noted that one in three teens admit having been a victim of dating violence,
and most teens admit knowing a friend who has experienced dating violence.
Almost half of teenage girls who have been in a relationship say they have been
victims of controlling behaviors by their boyfriends and more than half of
tweens (11-14 year olds) say they know friends who have been verbally abused by
a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Gamble
proved the following warning signs of an abusive dating relationship:
*
extreme jealousy,
*
pressure to date only him or her,
*
claims of undying love early in the relationship,
*
hiding controlling behavior behind pretenses of concern for your safety,
*
isolation from friends,
*
blaming you for any problems in the relationship,
*
pressuring you to have sex when you know you are not ready,
*
threats of violence,
*
cursing and yelling,
*
destroying your property,
*
dictating what you can wear.
Gamble
said, “These are just some of the warning signs. An abuser of any age uses
power and control to intimidate their partner. This is an especially confusing
time for many teens. At first the boyfriend/girlfriend is charming. Maybe they
are very popular at school, and it feels good to be a part of the ‘in crowd.’”
Gamble
explained that teens need to understand that regardless of the abuser’s age, it
is against the law for anyone to hurt them, force them to have sex, threaten
them with a weapon, stalk them, or destroy property. Gamble exclaimed, “These
behaviors are domestic abuse—and it is a crime!”
Teens
may feel trapped. They may find it hard to talk about a boyfriend or girlfriend
who is an abuser.
Although
82% of parents polled say they feel confident they could recognize signs of
their child’s experiencing dating abuse, more than half could not correctly
identify all the warning signs.
“Some
schools provide curriculum to help educate teens about dating abuse,” Gamble
pointed out, and added, “Children in grade schools can begin to learn about
healthy relationships, bullying, safe touch, and other issues to help them grow
into healthy adults who know how to be involved in healthy relationships. We
must educate our young people if we are to break the cycle of domestic
violence.”
Claiborne
Parish DART Advocate Mary Ellen Gamble, and Child Advocate Krista Johnson are
available to talk with anyone about teen dating violence, domestic abuse, and
children’s issues related to domestic abuse.
“We are
eager to speak to speak to school personnel and students to educate about
domestic violence and teen dating violence,” Gamble concluded.
If you
are a victim of domestic abuse or want additional information, call Mary Ellen
Gamble at 927-2818 or the domestic abuse hotline, 888-411-1333. All calls are
confidential.
