Former clerk indicted on racketeering charge
By Elizabeth Billips Associate Editor

A former magistrate's office clerk turned herself in to deputies on charges of theft by taking and violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).

Nichole Hammock, 34, was booked into jail last Wednesday and released on a $28,900 property bond.

A warrant for Hammock's arrest was issued shortly after a grand jury heard evidence against her Aug. 9.

Back in January, Hammock resigned from her post as Deputy Clerk II while GBI agents were actively investigating "bookkeeping discrepancies."

Those discrepancies began to surface in late December when the Burke County Magistrate's Office bounced two checks to- taling around $5,200.

After being questioned by agents, Hammock turned in $26,000, all in $50 and $100 bills, according to Gary Nicholson, special agent in charge of the Thomson GBI Office.

At the time, Hammock told authorities she'd taken the money home with her to work on the books. She said the file cabinet lock was broken, and she didn't want to leave the cash unsecured overnight.

Magistrate Judge Curt St. Germaine told The True Citizen that even if that were the case, there would never have been $26,000 on hand at one time.

Authorities said sloppy books and the lack of receipts made it difficult to determine how much money should have been deposited during any given week.

Although investigators have never released a dollar figure or said how many alleged thefts occurred during Hammock's six years as clerk, her alleged violation of RICO, by definition, indicates she is suspected of "the commission of two or more acts constituting a pattern of racketeering activity."

The grand jury indicted 28 other defendants, including Waynesboro teenager Kenard Joaquin Dukes who was arrested last May for the rape of a 12-year-old.

The victim's mother told deputies that Dukes, then 16, broke into her daughter's bedroom in the middle of the night. He allegedly called the girl to the window, then threw her down and covered her mouth.

Dukes went out through the front door, a report filed at the Burke County Sheriff's Office said, then fled on a bicycle that belonged to the victim's brother.

Deputies found him riding the bicycle along Highway 24.

He was indicted on charges of rape and burglary.

The grand jury also indicted a Dearing teenager who was arrested for molesting a 10-yearold girl.

Terry Dale Corey, who was 18 at the time of his arrest, was indicted for one count of aggravated child molestation and two counts of child molestation.

According to a report filed at the Burke County Sheriff's Office in May, the victim provided the offender's name during a taped interview at the Child Enrichment Center in Richmond County.

During interviews with deputies, Corey reportedly admitted to molesting the victim two times last year while she was living in Burke County.

The grand jury returned one no-bill, which generally indicates insufficient evidence. The no-bill cleared Harold Ballew Jr. of a June 2007 charge of terroristic threats.

Others indicted on criminal charges include:

• Larry Lamar Brown: burglary;

• Kendrick A. Johnson: burglary;

• Marvis T. Preston: burglary;

• Marcus Rodriquez Brown: aggravated assault;

• Lindzey Butler: forgery in the first degree and obstruction of a law enforcement officer;

• Steve Dustin Caldwell: aggravated stalking and battery (Family Violence Act);

• Dereck Bernard Cook: aggravated assault (two counts), possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime (two counts), cruelty to children in the second degree and obstruction of a 911 call;

• Earnest Coustom: forgery in the first degree (10 counts);

• Chasity Syria Cummings: theft by receiving stolen property and driving with a suspended license;

• Jonathan Brad Elliott: possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possession of marijuana;

• Aaron Daniel Sanders: possession of marijuana, violation of the Georgia Open Container Law and cracked windshield;

• Tareka Taneka Ellison: aggravated stalking and battery;

• Precious Elmore: negotiating fraudulent checks (nine counts);

• Riviranniade Dantay Flowers: simple assault, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime;

• Funelo Armondo Mobley: aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime;

• Scott Joiner: theft by receiving stolen property and disorderly conduct;

• Willie Charles Knight: aggravated stalking;

• Robert Lake Jr.: theft by taking and criminal attempt to commit theft by taking;

• Ronnie Wayne Lopez: theft by taking, simple assault, simple battery, harassing telephone calls (two counts) and burglary;

• Natasha Deniese Nobles: theft by receiving stolen property;

• Patrick Lamar Roberson: criminal damage to property in the second degree, entering an auto with intent to commit theft and simple battery;

• David Omar Rodriguez: possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana;

• Bob Lee Sellers Jr.: theft by receiving stolen property:

• Margie Nelson Travis: cruelty to children in the second degree;

• Tyrone Gerald Walker: obstruction of a law enforcement officer, criminal trespass and simple battery; and

• Bryan Delancy Williams: entering an automobile with the intent to commit theft and forgery in the first degree (three counts).