Three county employees plead guilty to theft-related charges

Three former Lincoln County employees were sentenced after pleading guilty to theft-related charges during a recent session of Lincoln County Superior Court.

Chief Judge Roger W. Dunaway, Jr. handed down sentences in the following cases:

.. Harmon Chris Skinner pleaded guilty to a single count of insurance fraud and was sentenced to five years probation and a $2,000 fine plus surcharges.

The defendant was also ordered to make restitution in the amount of $2,720 to the American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC).

The two-count indictment charged Skinner with filing a false disability insurance claim in which he alleged missing work from May 17 to May 31, 2006, and from June 1 through September 30, 2006, when in fact, he was regularly employed as a detention officer at the Lincoln County Law Enforcement Center.

In the same indictment, Skinner's mother, Sydney Skinner, was charged with two counts of assisting her son in filing the claims and eight additional counts, alleging that she filed claims for herself beginning in 2004 and continuing through 2006. The indictment further alleged that she filed the false claims while she was working as a communications officer at the detention center.

Mrs. Skinner pleaded guilty to one count of insurance fraud and was sentenced to five years probation and a $2,500 fine plus surcharges. She was likewise ordered by the court make restitution in the amount of $14,700 to AFLAC.

.. Tenika Cullars pleaded guilty to financial identity fraud and was sentenced to five years probation, a $1,000 fine plus surcharges, and 80 hours community service. As a special condition of probation, the court revoked the defendant's jail officer certification for five years.

Cullars was accused of obtaining a credit card in the name of a fellow officer without permission.

.. Timothy Lee Etheredge pleaded guilty to Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act (VGCSA [misdemeanor possession of marijuana]) and was sentenced to 12 months probation, a $500 fine plus surcharges, 40 hours community service, and the "drug package."

The drug package is a special condition of probation which provides for drug treatment and counseling as well as random testing. It also requires the defendant to submit to searches of his person and/or property upon request.

.. Tracy Lamar Ferguson pleaded guilty to a single count of burglary and received three years in confinement, followed by seven years on probation, and the drug package. He was likewise ordered to make restitution to the victim in the amount of $1,999.29.

.. Christina Bowen pleaded guilty to forgery in the first degree and was sentenced to time served, followed by four years on probation; a $750 fine plus surcharges; 40 hours community service; and the drug package.

.. David Burgess pleaded guilty to theft by taking and received time served, followed by three years probation; a $750 fine plus surcharges; and the drug package.

.. Carlos Dominique Harris pleaded guilty to criminal damage to property in the second degree and interference with government property. He was sentenced to five years probation on each count, less time already served. He was also ordered to complete 30 hours of community service and pay a $500 fine plus surcharges on each count. In addition, the defendant will have to pay restitution to the victims in an amount to be determined by the probation department.

Harris was granted first offender status, which means that if he meets all of the terms and conditions of probation, he will be discharged under the first offender law, with no criminal record.

.. Michael Lockhart was sentenced to two 12-month probation terms to be served consecutive to each other after pleading guilty to two counts of simple battery. He also received a $200 fine plus surcharges on each count and the drug package and was ordered to have no violent contact with the victims while on probation.