Last Thursday afternoon, March 19, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department received a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) from Tennessee stating that there was a gray, new model Chevrolet with Georgia license tags with three individuals traveling on Hwy. 111 using stolen credit card numbers that had been transferred to gift cards and were using those to purchase large amounts of cigarettes for re-sale, according to a press release issued this past weekend by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department.

At 3:52 p.m. that afternoon, local dispatch received another call from Pickett County, Tennessee, that they were in pursuit of a vehicle matching that description and were requesting assistance from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department in getting this vehicle stopped. Sheriff Jim Guffey and Constable Rick Stearns responded to the call. The vehicle was stopped at Hunley’s Marathon Station at Static, just inside the Clinton County line. The vehicle was a 2015 Chevrolet Sonic LT with Georgia registration and three occupants.

Sheriff Guffey removed the occupants one at a time, mirandizing each individual before questioning and advised them of the complaints. Each individual stated they were unaware of any activity of that nature and when consent to search the vehicle was asked, the subjects refused.

Sheriff Guffey then impounded the vehicle, had it moved to the Albany Police Department, detained the three individuals and applied for a search warrant. The search warrant was granted and then executed at the police department.

With the assistance of Chief Ernest Guffey, Officer Ricky Marcum, Sergeant Mark Bell, Officer Jeff Phann, THP/Identity Crimes Unit, Chief Greg Etheredge, Livingston Police Department, Sheriff Dana Dowdy, and Deputy James Hammock, Pickett County Sheriff’s Department and Constables Rick Stearns and Andy Butler, a search of the vehicle and persons yielded 24 cartons of Newport cigarettes, two cartons of Marlboro Lights, one carton of Marlboro regular, and 148 individual packs of Newports. Also seized was the 2015 Chevrolet Sonic, $2,808.91 in cash, 48 gift cards, 34 of which the numbers had been altered, and 14 cards with original numbers.

The following were arrested: Belane Girmachew Makonnen, Norcross, Georgia; Star Ann Brown, Atlanta, Georgia; and Sarr Taibou Babacar from Guinea, West Africa, but residing in College Park, Georgia on a work VISA. Each individual was charged with Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card (20 counts), Criminal Possession of Forged Instruments Second Degree (20 Counts), Theft by Unlawful Taking $10,000 or more but less than $1,000,000 and Engaging in Organized Crime. All three were lodged in Clinton County Jail with bond set on each at $100,000 cash.

The investigation is continuing by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department, Pickett County (Tenn.) Sheriff’s Department, Livingston (Tenn.) Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP)/Crimes Unit, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service.

A portion of the items and cash siezed from the automobile of three Georgia suspects who were arrested in Clinton County last week.