The Coffee County grand jury handed down indictments to 24 individuals on various charges at its last meeting of the year. While the majority of those charged are facing drug charges, specifically methamphetamine, other individuals are facing counts of aggravated battery, aggravated stalking, burglary, and many more felony offenses.
One of the individuals indicted, Jared Highsmith, was booked in the Coffee County Jail since he was released on bond in July after allegedly violating a TPO for the second time since his initial arrest. Highsmith was first taken into custody for aggravated stalking on July 8 after allegedly placing two tracking devices under his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle. After Highsmith’s arrest, DouglasNow learned that the victim had taken out a TPO before discovering the tracking system.
Highsmith received a bond in the magistrate court but was back in jail the following month after the judge who ordered the TPO sentenced him to serve 20 days for the violation.
Less than a month later, Highsmith returned to jail after reportedly breaking the TPO for the second time. In this case, a female contacted officers with the Douglas Police Department claiming she had seen Highsmith turning right onto East Ward Street from Shirley Avenue. Due to the victim’s place of employment being on Shirley Avenue, Highsmith’s attorney “made a promise” he would not travel down the road while the order was in place.
According to the officer, the woman also stated that she watched video surveillance from the business, which showed Highsmith driving by the location while the victim was at work. Highsmith was taken into custody on one count of violation of the family violence order and released from custody on October 6.
The grand jury indicted Highsmith on his original charge of aggravated stalking, which comes with a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted.
Four individuals who made headlines on DouglasNow in September have officially been indicted, with each receiving one count of aggravated battery. According to a copy of a Coffee County Sheriff’s Office report, the victim in the case told deputies he was attacked by two men, James Tanner and Christopher Kirkland, during a “set-up” by Tanner’s fiancé, whom he claimed he had been seeing at the same time.
The victim reported that the female, Candice Kirkland, picked him up in a vehicle driven by Carra Cason around 12:45 a.m. on September 26 and drove him to a house on Cobblestone Road in Douglas. He stated that when he entered a room in the back of the house, Tanner and Christopher jumped him, with Christopher allegedly using a metal pipe to “beat him.” He also stated that Christopher threatened to kill him with the pipe.
James, Candice, and Carra were all released from custody on a property bond, with Christopher remaining in the Coffee County Jail. Christopher’s attorney filed a motion for bond last week, which a judge will hear in January. If convicted, all four face up to 20 years in prison.
A man accused of breaking into a woman’s home, assaulting her, and assaulting another female in 2021 was indicted on four charges, including two counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated battery, and one count of burglary.
The indictment alleges that on September 14, Jose Hernandez “unlawfully, without authority, and with the intent to commit aggravated assault, a felony, entered the dwelling house of another” on Gum Street in Douglas. He is accused of aggravated battery against a woman inside the residence by striking her in her eye and aggravated assault against the same victim for allegedly “throwing a refrigerator” at her.
In the second aggravated assault count, Hernandez reportedly “rushed at the female (the homeowner) with a metal pole in his hand.” Hernandez was denied bond in October and is now facing up to 70 years if he is found guilty by a jury.
A Broxton man who recently made headlines, Bobby Dwayne Moore, has been indicted on charges of obstruction of a law enforcement officer, terroristic threats and acts, and interference with government property.
As reported last month, Moore landed behind bars after he allegedly hit a Broxton Police Department officer, threatened the lives of individuals on the scene, and assaulted a female by hitting her multiple times in the head and putting a lit cigarette on her cheek.
The indictment occurred on October 24, and Moore has since been in the Coffee County Jail without bond.
Most of the indicted charges were drug offenses, with 12 individuals indicted for methamphetamine possession following arrests by the Coffee County Drug Unit, the Broxton Police Department, the Nicholls Police Department, and the City of Douglas Police Department.
Nine of the individuals indicted were arrested by the Coffee County Drug Unit on possession charges, including Brandon Williams – possession of a controlled substance (2x) and possession of methamphetamine; Kelsey Bowen – possession of methamphetamine; Ellis Robertson – possession of schedule II controlled substance (cocaine), possession of schedule II controlled substance (hydrocodone) and possession of methamphetamine; Farrah Carter – possession of schedule II controlled substance (cocaine), possession of schedule II controlled substance (hydrocodone) and possession of methamphetamine; Kayla Smith – possession of methamphetamine; Tremaine Clemons – possession of methamphetamine; Angie Howell – possession of methamphetamine; Michael Dees – possession of methamphetamine and Alex Gomez – possession of methamphetamine.
Two individuals, Roderick Adams and Karen McKinnon, were arrested on drug charges by officers with the Nicholls Police Department. Adams has been indicted on counts of possession of methamphetamine and possession of a schedule controlled substance: tramadol (count 2) and alprazolam (count 3), with Mckinnon facing one count of possession of a schedule II controlled substance (hydrocodone).
The Broxton Police Department arrested two men on possession charges in October, both were indicted last week. Denmark Smith was indicted on possession of methamphetamine, with Marteze Turner facing one count of possession of a schedule I controlled substance and an additional charge of DUI (combined influence).
Two men, Brandon Carter-Mitchell and Horace Everson, were arrested by the Douglas Police Department, with Mitchell booked on charges in September and Everson taken into custody in October. Everson was indicted on one count of possessing meth with the intent to distribute and trafficking methamphetamine. Mitchell faces charges of possession of a schedule I controlled substance (2x), possession of marijuana more than an ounce, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The other three individuals indicted following last week’s presentation include Richard Biggerstaff – failure to register as a sex offender, Jose Pagan – failure to register as a sex offender, and Raquon Tucker – aggravated assault and attempting to elude a police officer.
Now that the grand jury has officially charged the defendants, they will soon appear before a Superior Court Judge for their arraignments.