Sheriff Warns of Scam

Sheriff Patrick Ray says if anyone asks you to make a donation so that bullet proof vests can be bought for deputies, don’t contribute. It’s a scam.
According to Sheriff Ray, several people have contacted him in recent days about phone calls they have received, asking them for contributions so that bullet proof vests can be purchased for deputies.
Sheriff Ray says the Sheriff’s Department is not conducting any such fundraiser.
If you should be contacted, obtain as much information as possible from the caller, and then contact the sheriff’s department so that the scam can be stopped and those responsible may be prosecuted.
But above all, do not send money.
Meanwhile, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, since last Wednesday, has arrested one person for theft and forgery, a sex offender, and two people on drug charges.
25 year old Elizabeth (Beth) Chalfant of Hurricane Ridge Road Smithville was arrested on Wednesday for theft of property under $500, seven counts of forgery, and failure to appear.
Sheriff Ray says detective learned through an investigation that Chalfant had stolen checks from a residence on V.L. Wilson Loop Smithville on November 10th. Chalfant then went to the Smithville Wal-Mart where she paid for items with the stolen checks. After she paid for the merchandise, Chalfant returned the items to Wal-Mart. The store then gave her back the cash. Chalfant was also charged with failure to appear after she did not show up for court on unrelated charges.
Her bond was set at $45,000 on the theft and forgery charges and no bond was set on the failure to appear.
Meanwhile, on Friday 48 year old Lloyd Earl Wadsworth of Sparta Highway, Sparta was charged with violation of the sexual offender law.
Sheriff Ray says Wadsworth was convicted in 1990 in Oklahoma for a sex offense against a child. Detectives learned that Wadsworth was living in Ragland Bottom Motel on or before December 21st and had not registered as a sex offender in DeKalb County. Wadsworth’s bond was set at $50,000 and his court date is January 10th.
In another case, county deputies went to 834 Gentry Avenue, Smithville on Friday to execute two violations of probation warrants on 28 year old Jamie Edward Carroll.
Sheriff Ray says when officers entered Carroll’s home, they found 45 year old Edward Judkins in the bathroom of the home. A syringe and a spoon that contained cocaine were also found on the vanity of the bathroom. Sheriff Ray says deputies believe that Judkins was getting ready to “shoot up” or to inject the cocaine into his body.
Officers also found 22 loose percocet pills in Judkins’ pocket and $198 in cash. Also in Carroll’s bedroom were crushed straws, which had been used for crushing pills, and a plate that contained a white powdery residue.
In addition to the two violation of probation warrants, Carroll was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. Total bond was set at $4,500.
Judkins was charged with possession of a schedule II drug (cocaine), possession of a schedule III drug (percocet), and possession of drug paraphernalia (needle and spoon).
Total bond for Judkins was set at $11,000.
Both will appear in court on January 31st.
The $198.00 in cash was also seized.