Wayne Ford

5 days ago | yahoo.com | Wayne Ford

An elderly Athens man is sending thousands of dollars to his “girlfriends,” whom he has never met personally, but he told authorities he is willingly giving the money. The transfer of approximately $12,883 to these strangers has occurred from early October 2024 to March 10, according to an Athens-Clarke police report made last month.

6 days ago | onlineathens.com | Wayne Ford

Two Athens residents were recently scammed out of thousands of dollars after receiving phone calls. One scam involved a caller impersonating a sheriff's deputy demanding payment via cryptocurrency to avoid arrest. The other scam involved a caller posing as a bank official, ultimately resulting in unauthorized debit card transactions. The simple act of answering a telephone call recently lured two Athens residents into scams that cost them thousands.

6 days ago | onlineathens.com | Wayne Ford

Athens businesswoman Jessica Crawford sentenced to eight years for tax fraud. Crawford pleaded guilty to wire fraud and preparing false tax returns totaling over $3.5 million. Crawford also defrauded clients by filing false tax returns on their behalf. A federal judge this week sentenced an Athens businesswoman to eight years in prison, a term that under federal rules means she is not eligible for early release.

6 days ago | onlineathens.com | Wayne Ford

Jennifer Scott appointed interim superintendent of Clarke County schools. The Clarke County Board of Education expressed confidence in Scott's leadership. The Clarke County Board of Education this week appointed Jennifer Scott as interim school superintendent as it prepares to find a replacement for Robbie Hooker, who announced his retirement recently. Hooker’s retirement is effective June 30, the day that Scott will assume the position for the 2025-26 school year.

1 week ago | onlineathens.com | Wayne Ford

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:SHOPLIFTING: On April 23, Deputy Kelda Simmons and Sgt. Lex Ogan were dispatched to Walmart for a shoplifting was in progress. A loss prevention officer had stopped the three suspects, Athens women ages 48, 26, and 45, and recovered the merchandise, mostly makeup. The trio was then sent to jail. HIT AND RUN: On April 25, Sgt.