Ex-court clerk gets 20-year sentence

Ringgold’s Tracy Alan Bass will serve one day in jail, the rest on probation.

RINGGOLD — A former Ringgold court clerk, arrested in 2015 for allegedly stealing city funds, pleaded guilty to theft charges Wednesday afternoon in Catoosa County Superior Court.

Tracy Alan Bass, 54, of Fort Oglethorpe, was sentenced to 20 years of probation, but will only have to spend one day in jail.

Bass was Ringgold’s court clerk for years before being arrested Dec. 8, 2015, on charges of theft, computer forgery, tampering with evidence, and interference with government property.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation determined that Bass, who handled city payments for tickets, fines and court fees, allegedly altered payment records in the city’s computer system and then skimmed thousands of dollars in the process for more than two-years. He even attempted to shred documents in his office after being questioned by GBI agents the day before his arrest, officials said.

Wednesday afternoon, Bass pleaded guilty to the charges, followed by Judge Don Thompson sentencing him to the probation, restitution fees, and 24 hours jail time.

The sentence includes Bass paying $61,398.75 in restitution, $36,000 of which must be paid back within 90 days.

Adam Cook, The Catoosa County News

Man lights himself on fire in patrol car

ADAIRSVILLE — An Adairsville man set himself on fire in the back of a patrol car late Friday night after being arrested on an outstanding warrant.

According to a Bartow County Sheriff’s report, Abram Harris Colston, of Joe Frank Harris Parkway, Adairsville, had a warrant out through Bartow County for making terroristic threats.

After receiving a call advising of Colston’s location, officers arrived at his residence at 11 p.m. to find him standing near the front door.

Colston was placed under arrest and secured in the back seat of the patrol vehicle without incident.

However, while on the way to the jail, Colston stated “he wasn’t going to jail alive,” and that if he arrived at the jail, it would be “suicide by cop.”

According to the report, as the patrol car continued southbound on Highway 41, the officer in the front seat heard “there you go,” and turned around to see Colston’s pants and shirt were on fire and a lighter in Colston’s right hand.

It was later discovered Colston placed the lighter in his “genital region” prior to being placed under arrest.

The vehicle was then stopped and the officer opened the rear passenger door and extinguished the fire on Colston’s clothes with his hand.

Colston then set his pants on fire again, and the officer again extinguished the fire with his hand, and was able to pry the lighter away.

According to the report, Colston then attempted to flee from the patrol car several times, but he was placed back into the vehicle and taken to the Bartow County jail without further incident.

No county-issued property was damaged and Colston did not have any apparent injuries, although he did have burn marks on his clothing.

He was medically cleared by the jail’s medical staff, and a charge of reckless conduct was added to the existing charge of making terroristic threats. The Cartersville Daily Tribune