Attorney charged with fraud, embezzlement
The attorney whose ads say, "Tell them you mean business" was indicted on federal charges this week.
Benjamin S. Eichholz, 58, was indicted on 77 counts of money laundering, mail fraud, false statements and obstruction of justice in an alleged scheme to embezzle nearly $1 million, U.S. Attorney Edmund A. Booth Jr. announced Thursday.
Mr. Eichholz, a Savannah-based attorney, is accused of embezzling money from 2001 through October 2008 from his employees' pension benefit plans.
Man who ran over his friend to be paroled
An Augusta man who has served two years of a five-year prison sentence for vehicular homicide is set for parole next week.
According to a notice from the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Bruce Lee Madden will be released Wednesday.
Mr. Madden, 44, pleaded guilty in Richmond County Superior Court in August 2007. He admitted to being the driver who ran over a friend, 25-year-old James Wills, after Mr. Wills fell out of Mr. Madden's pickup truck on Wylds Road on Aug. 30, 2002.
Mr. Madden has five years to serve on probation once his parole is finished.
Missing Lexington man, 82, is found
Family members said an 82-year-old man who had been missing from Lexington since Wednesday morning was found Thursday night.
Nathaniel Hand, who suffers from diabetes and dementia, was located in Union, S.C., after his vehicle ran out of gas. A family member said he was being evaluated at Union Hospital, but that she had heard he was in good condition.
18-year-old dies from injuries from wreck
An 18-year-old Augusta man died Thursday as a result of injuries he suffered in a Wednesday wreck on Mike Padgett Highway.
James M. Young III, of the 4100 block of Mike Padgett Highway, was pronounced dead at 11:38 a.m. at Medical College of Georgia Hospital's Shock Trauma Unit, according to a release sent by Richmond County Chief Deputy Coroner Mark Bowen.
The wreck occurred on Mike Padgett at Country Place Drive at about 8 p.m. Wednesday as Mr. Young drove a 2005 Chevrolet Impala northbound on Mike Padgett in a left through lane. Authorities say he swerved his vehicle to the right to keep from striking another vehicle, which was northbound in the left through lane. That vehicle was attempting to turn left into Country Place Drive. Mr. Young's vehicle crossed into the right lane, causing Mr. Young to overcorrect and his vehicle to spin out of control and cross the southbound lanes, being struck by a southbound vehicle.
Police seek robber of Citgo station
Authorities were looking for a man they say robbed a Columbia County convenience store Thursday.
At about 1:45 p.m., a man with a handgun walked into the Kangaroo Express Citgo station at 440 S. Belair Road at Interstate 20, said Columbia County sheriff's Sgt. Tommy Cooksey. The man demanded money and ordered the clerk on the floor, fleeing the store with an unknown amount of cash, Sgt. Cooksey said. The clerk described the robber as black, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 160 pounds, with a neat goatee and wearing blue jeans and a shirt with red, white and blue horizontal stripes.
Anyone with information should call (706) 541-2800.
23-year-old is arrested in death of his mother
A 23-year-old man has been arrested in Jefferson County in the death of his mother.
Eddie Williams Jr., of Hudson Road near Wadley, was arrested Thursday on a murder charge by officers with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Georgia Bureau of Investigation, according to a release.
Authorities say Mr. Williams' mother, Janice Williams, 52, was found at her home on Hudson Road just before noon Tuesday. She was suffering from head injuries, and died just before midnight the same day while being treated at an Augusta hospital.
An autopsy determined Mrs. Williams died from massive head trauma.
Mr. Williams is being held at the Jefferson County Jail, awaiting a first appearance hearing, which has not been set.
Man convicted in two deaths will be paroled
An Augusta man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shooting deaths of two men in the early 1990s is scheduled to be released on parole next week.
Jammie Maurice West, 37, has served 16 years in prison for the Nov. 22, 1990, fatal shooting of Anthony Jackson, and the Dec. 5, 1992, shooting death of Benjamin D. Williams. Both victims were shot on Hollaway Drive.
According to a notice from the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Mr. West is scheduled to be released Tuesday. He was sentenced in Richmond County Superior Court to 20 years.
Comments
We have been begging the DOT to add a turning lane on that part of Mike Padgett Hwy for years now. How many more young innocent lives will be lost before they do something? When Plant Vogtle ramps up it will be more dangerous than ever. The time to do something is NOW.
The man convicted of not one but two murders will be paroled, this is all we need to add to the crime wave going on in augusta. where are the rallies happening for this ??????????????
That area of M.P. Hwy. is the only stretch in Richmond County that is NOT a 5 lane, yet has the most accidents. About 15 years ago I brought this to the attention of the D.O.T. and was told that the suicide lanes were not being built anymore. Since then, a plan was introduced some 4-5 years ago at the Gracewood Community Center that would update this section of Hwy. to the current turning lane type such as you find on the Peach Orchard Rd. between Bobby Jones and Tobacco Rd. We were given drawings and were told the state was in the process of securing the propeerty required. I have not heard anything in some time and suspect that the project was scrapped. Anyone who knows Mr. Kuhlke might want to question him o this.
What is it gonna to take to get a traffic light at either Mike Padgett /Country Place Drive or Mike Padgett/Brown Road. Those are the most dangerous crossing area on Mike Padgett. Several lives have been lost. I have to agreed with mikeelliott we were told DOT was going to do something about that highway. The time to do something is NOW. Lets see our stimulus money go to work for us in Richmond County.
Further evidence our so called justice system is broke, is the release of the person that shot and killed two people. This type criminal should never be released back into the public.
That man who robbed the Citgo is likely to be in big trouble internationally. He stole from one of Hugo Chavez' stations. Stealing from Hugo is a death penalty.
I agree with traffic lights needing to be installed but if they would do something about all the cars and trucks that do 75 mph down Mike Padgett Hwy this would help. A couple of evenings ago I was heading south on Hwy 56 (doing the speed limit with a vehicle in the right lane beside me) and had a truck pass me on the left through the suicide lane doing about 75 mph. People drive like they are on I-20.
That is 12 traffic deaths on this stretch of Mike Padgett Hwy in the 4 years that I've worked out here. They are supposed to put in a concrete median down the center, but something can't come too soon.
I'd MUCH rather see the funds that builders of "The Village" in Goshen are seeking, be diverted to adding a suicide lane in one of the most heavily populated areas of Mike Padget Highway. I, for one, am tired of seeing deep pockets replenished rather than the masses being benefited. Saving lives is much more preferable.
Paroled after murdering 2 people? Now that is just dumb justice. Somebody had better keep an eye on this guy.
Paroled.....Why is he even alive? I hope he enjoyed being kept
warm and fed by us for the past freaking 16 years!
I agree just me #2. They really need to start using and swiftly enforcing the death penalty. Maybe it would work like it should and be somewhat of a deterrant to the other [filtered word] criminals out there!
I guess next the people along Padgett Hwy. will want speed humps in the road. Hey, come to think about it, they could put speed humps in the "left through" lanes but leave the outside lanes open and solve the problem.
Little lamb, surely you were being facetious with your inane comment. There have been many deaths along that stretch of highway and I find absolutely nothing funny about that.
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