Gordon County BOE member Smith indicted by Grand Jury on 19 charges
The Gordon County Grand Jury convened this morning and indicted Gordon County School Board member Ricky E. Smith on 19 total counts, including seven counts of financial transaction card theft, nine counts of identity fraud and a count each of theft by taking, criminal trespass and influencing a witness. The indictments stem from his arrest on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016 after a theft of currency and credit cards was reported from a private residence in the Red Bud community. The theft was reported on Aug. 12, 2016.
The indictments indicate that between Aug. 5 and Aug. 17, 2016, Smith obtained without consent the wallet of Linda Joy Poole. According to the documents, Smith received an American Express Blue Card, an American Express Green Card, a Macy’s credit card, a Kohl’s credit card, a Bank of America debit card and two Fidelity credit cards without Poole’s consent with the intent to fraudulently use the cards. The documents also state that Smith “did willfully and fraudulently possess with intent to fraudulently use” a State of Georgia Driver’s License and a Social Security Card, both belonging to Poole.
Smith was also indicted on a count of theft by taking for taking approximately $ 200 in U. S. currency, along with a count of criminal trespass due to taking the wallet without authorization.
In the count of influencing a witness, the indictment reads that sometime around Aug. 15, 2016, Smith did “knowingly use intimidation towards Linda Joy Poole, a witness, to investigator Mike Hill, a law enforcement officer, relating to the commission of a criminal offense” by contacting Poole and “Demanding that she get criminal charges dropped regarding the taking of her wallet and its contents and