MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office is urging the community to be aware if they receive a letter and check claiming to have won a lottery.

Colquitt County Sheriff’s Investigator Capt. Hal Suber said several residents have reported receiving a letter claiming they have won a lottery. Also included is a check which appears legitimate and comes from a real business.

The problem, Suber said, is the letters and checks are forgeriesl. He warns anyone who receives one of these checks not to cash them but to bring them to the sheriff’s office.

The checks are believed to be coming into Colquitt County from foreign countries, particularly from Canada and Nigeria, Suber said. Since the checks are forged, anyone who does cash them could face charges or penalties rather than who is sending the checks.

“If you cash them,” Suber said, “you’ll be responsible for it.”

Once one of the forged prize checks is brought to the sheriff’s office, Suber said they are turned over to the U.S. Secret Service for investigation. Also, unsolicited e-mails claiming to have an inheritance by responding are also fraudulent and can also be turned over to the sheriff’s office to give to the Secret Service for investigation.



Arrests:

Moultrie Police

• Walter Ray Neloms, 34, of 707 Fifth Ave. S.W., was charged Sunday with simple battery (family violence), possession of marijuana less than one ounce and driving with a suspended license (second offense).

• Cedric Maurice Davis, 28, of 1944 Fourth St. S.E., was charged Saturday with public indecency.

• Angela Marie Epps-Carter, 26, of 590 Tree Farm Road, was charged Saturday with driving with a suspended license, driving too fast for conditions and deposit account fraud.

• Armando Perez, 26, of Regency Village, Lot 25, was charged Friday with simple battery (family violence).



Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office

• Eric Demetrious Carter, 45, of 140 N. Burns St. in Sale City, was charged Saturday with DUI (second offense), driving on the wrong side of a roadway and being a habitual violator.

• Patricia Hurst Marsh, 48, of 101 Glenwood Drive in Brunswick, was charged Sunday with being a pedestrian under the influence.

• Charles Anthony Epps, 29, of 590 Tree Farm Road, was charged Saturday with issuing bad checks.



Georgia State Patrol

• Robert Lee Edwards, 53, of 1477 Cool Springs-Ellenton Road in Norman Park, was charged Friday with DUI, an open container violation and failure to maintain lane.

• Fred Joudie Brown III, 28, of 2911 Sylvester Drive, was charged Sunday with an open container violation, a child restraint violation, speeding, driving with a suspended license, DUI and DUI child endangerment.

• James Buddy Castleberry, 24, of 170-B E. Weeks St. in Norman Park, was charged Friday with escape, driving with suspended registration, two counts of DUI and obstruction.

• Recardo Demarco Hudson, 33, of 407 Neel St. in Thomasville, was charged Saturday with speeding and DUI.

• Cosme Najar, 46, of 107-B Allman Road, was charged Saturday with DUI and failure to maintain lane.



Other Incidents:

Moultrie Police

• Paul Zampini and Tyler Knox reported a thief stole two Apple iPods and an iPod charger while they were staying at the Moultrie Inn on First Avenue Southeast Saturday. The value of the stolen items was $800.

• Tamika Seay, of Second Avenue Southeast, reported a thief kicked in a kitchen door and stole an Acer laptop computer, a Toshiba 42-inch television, a Cobra 9mm handgun, a Nintendo Wii, a Sony PlayStation 3, a work Bytespeed laptop computer, a generator and Wii and PlayStation 3 games between 7 a.m. and 12:40 p.m. Friday. The value of the stolen items was $3,452.



Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office

• John Tucker, of Bay Rockyford Road, reported a thief stole a Hitachi nail gun, two nail gun hoses, a Hitachi drill, a Ryobi drill, a Dewalt shop saw and a band saw from his shed between March 9 and Friday. The value of the stolen items was $1,054. Tucker gave sheriff’s deputies the name of a male suspect.

• Susan Martinez, of Annie McGee Road, reported a thief stole a 22-inch gold necklace from a jewelry box between March 9 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The value of the stolen necklace was $400.