Article

2024-08-16 -Lurid Crime Tales-

Thomson mayor arrested, Political Skullduggery is at play.

While in the middle of meeting to terminate 2 local police officers for gross misconduct, the GBI arrived and asked him step outside.
[Fox5Atlanta] Thomson Mayor Benjamin Cary Cranford, 52, was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday for allegedly providing inmates with alcohol while they worked in the city.

Investigators say the incident in question happened on June 4.

A warrant for the mayor's arrest was issued on Wednesday. He was promptly taken into custody and booked into the McDuffie County Jail where has been charged with furnishing prohibited items to inmates and criminal attempt to commit a felony.

Further details about the arrest and the incident have not yet been made public.

Posted by NN2N1 2024-08-16 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11153 views ] Top

#1
A quick summary:

* Thomson Mayor Benjamin Cary Cranford was elected in a landslide. Unseating what many saw as a politically controlled puppet mayor of 12 years. The former mayor was said to have been installed by the 2 ruling political families (D's) in the county. The former mayor was also the elite's chosen city council member for 20 years.

* Many see Thomson Mayor Benjamin Cary Cranford election as having ticked off the 2 ruling political (D's) families in the town.

* The NEW Mayor, on taking office, quickly uncovered serious financial waste, spending and missing money issues. However, requested audits are still not finished?

* The power brokers even fought Mayor Cranford's efforts and voters demands to rename a street after a famous 101-Year-old WW-II vet that landed in D-Day and fought many a several key battles. One power broker went so far as to say the Vet needed to be dead 1st and then maybe only proclamation issued.

In short, the mayor's arrest is seen by many as purely Political because the New Mayor bucked the Status Quo, uncovered $$$$$ & Contract award issues and disrupted the 2 political families control.

Posted by NN2N1 2024-08-16 04:47|| 2024-08-16 04:47|| Front Page Top

#2 Update.

According to released documents and local media.

The Thomson Police Department Chief of Police requested the GBI to investigate an allegation that the mayor reportedly left a bottle of gin on the roadside for an inmate work detail to later find, on June 4.

The indictment states that the mayor placed a bottle of gin in a ditch where it was claimed the inmates from the Jefferson County Correctional Institution were working and later found. Note: Jefferson is not even his own county?

A Grand Jury arrest warrant was issued for Cranford on Wednesday. Cranford was arrested the next day, during a meeting to discuss the dismissal of Thomson Police officers for misconduct. Thus delaying that personnel action.

Posted by NN2N1 2024-08-16 09:14|| 2024-08-16 09:14|| Front Page Top

#3 "Gin"!
That IS a crime.

Posted by Skidmark 2024-08-16 09:41|| 2024-08-16 09:41|| Front Page Top

#4 80 years ago, Athens, TN had the answer.

Posted by Mercutio 2024-08-16 09:49|| 2024-08-16 09:49|| Front Page Top

#5 Sounds rather Monty Pythonesque: "Aha! What's all this then?"

Posted by Cured Romantic 2024-08-16 15:55|| 2024-08-16 15:55|| Front Page Top

#6 Athens, GA.

If I'm gonna keep getting older, you all need to add an edit function to comments...

Posted by Mercutio 2024-08-16 19:48|| 2024-08-16 19:48|| Front Page Top

09:43 Mullah Richard
09:27 Warthog
09:11 Mercutio
09:07 AlmostAnonymous5839
08:52 Matt
08:24 Matt
08:20 SteveS
07:43 Procopius2k
07:42 BrerRabbit
07:42 Procopius2k
07:39 Procopius2k
07:36 Procopius2k
07:35 Procopius2k
07:34 trailing wife
07:31 Procopius2k
07:30 NN2N1
07:22 NN2N1
07:18 trailing wife
07:14 Richard Aubrey
07:10 NN2N1
07:09 Besoeker
07:03 NN2N1
06:58 NN2N1
06:58 Besoeker