Police blotter
Former state school superintendent faces more charges
Linda Schrenko, the embattled former state superintendent of schools and unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate, faces additional charges as the result of a new federal indictment returned Tuesday.
The indictment adds the charges of wire fraud and money laundering to the embezzlement charges she is already facing. Both carry significant jail time if she is convicted.
Schrenko is accused of ordering bogus contracts for computer services totaling more than $600,000 in federal funds granted to the Georgia Department of Education while she headed the agency. Prosecutors say she and her co-defendants used a complex series of transactions and offshore bank accounts to try to "launder" the money, or make it untraceable, as they channeled it into their own pockets and into her 2002 campaign for governor.
By listing each suspect transaction, the number of counts she faces rose from 18 in the original indictment handed down in November to 47.
The following accounts were taken from reports filed with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Fraud reported
A Deltona, Fla., man reported a case of fraud to Columbia County police on Tuesday after, he said, he never received a computer that he purchased on the Internet.
The man said he mailed a $876 money order to a Martinez woman who was selling the computer on the Internet. The man said all communication was stopped with the woman after he sent the money order to her.
The incident reportedly occurred between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 2.
Day care burglary
The owner of an Evans day care told police Tuesday someone broke into the facility and stole money.
The owner of Small Wonders Daycare, located on North Belair Road, said someone took $258 from the business without permission.
The incident reportedly occurred sometime between 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7 and 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Burglary reported
A Hephzibah man said someone caused $200 in damages Monday while breaking into an Evans building.
The man, who is a builder, said someone entered the location at 1024 Emerald Place between Feb. 4 and 8 a.m. Monday without permission, damaging sheetrock on walls and the ceiling.