DPD's RICO investigation yields a sixth arrest

The Douglas Police Department has charged another individual, 25-year-old Deonte Goolsby, in their ongoing Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) investigation. The department previously arrested five other suspects in August in the case, which, according to the officials, stems from the forgery of numerous checks all over the state. 

According to a copy of Goolsby's arrest warrant on the count of financial transaction card fraud, on February 28, 2022, he "willingly and knowingly, with the intent to defraud the issuer, did deposit into an account (a certain account of an individual's Bank of America account) by means of an automated banking device (electronic deposit via online transaction), a false, fictitious, forged, altered, counterfeit check (draft, money order), which was not his/her lawful (legal) property." 

The warrant claims the check belonged to Valdosta State University, valued at $9,500. 

The second count alleges that Goolsby forged the name of Valdosta State University and wrote in the amount of $9,500 on the check.

In August, five other suspects were charged with RICO in the department's investigation, including Zacheyus Venisee, Ricky James Smith, Chance Kyrell Mack, Zykirria Kenyonna Jackson, and Maccorian Toran Saffold.

 Venisee and Smith were charged with one count of RICO, four counts of transaction card fraud, two counts of transaction card theft, four counts of identity theft, and four counts of forgery in the third degree. Mack, Jackson, and Saffold were all charged with a single count of RICO. 

Department officials also stated that other arrests were likely as the investigation continued.

 According to this morning's Coffee County Jail roster, Smith is the only suspect still in custody and has not received a bond. Venisee was just released on a $7,500 bond on December 13.