Police blotter

Armed robbery suspect of Circle K is sought/p>

Columbia County sheriff's authorities have identified an Augusta man wanted in the armed robbery of a convenience store Tuesday.

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James Robertson Pawlak, 21, is being sought in the robbery of the Circle K at Belair and Columbia roads, said Columbia County sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris. Pawlak is accused of using a handgun to demand cash and two cartons of cigarettes, police said.

"We've positively identified James Pawlak, aka James Epps, as the suspect who robbed the clerk at gunpoint," Capt. Morris said Wednesday night.

Video footage and fingerprint evidence played a role in naming Pawlak, he said. Pawlak's last known address was in the 200 block of Woodlake Drive in south Augusta, although he has been known to frequent downtown Augusta at Third and Fourth streets near East Boundary, police said. Anyone with information can call (706) 541-2800.

Judge denies bond for man in murder retrial

A Superior Court judge denied bond Thursday for a man whose murder conviction was overturned in January.

Judge J. Carlisle Overstreet denied bond for Tom Edwin Chumley, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison plus five years in 2005. Overstreet said he rejected the bond request because he believes Chumley is a flight risk and poses a threat to commit another crime.

Chumley was indicted on murder and weapons charges in April 2004 after he confessed to shooting Meredith Pete Guy, 74, who was found dead in her Twin Lakes Drive home on Feb. 28, 2003.

Though the Georgia Supreme Court found Chumley "undeniably guilty," the high court concluded that Overstreet's comments about the confessions in the original trial were prejudicial to the jury.

Chumley, who is being held at the Columbia County Detention Center, is scheduled for retrial as early as Sept. 22.

The following accounts were taken from reports from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. Additional reports are available at www.columbiacountyso.org:

Grovetown man gets call about fraudulent charges

A Grovetown man called police Tuesday after being warned by a magazine publisher that he might be the victim of credit card fraud.

The 32-year-old said the publisher called him and told him to check his credit card account for unauthorized purchases. The publisher had the man's credit card number in reference to a contract with the company.

The publisher told the man that an employee of the magazine was suspected of using account numbers from clients to make fraudulent purchases. The man said he checked his account and found at least six confirmed fraudulent purchases and two other suspicious purchases since mid-July.

Man claims woman cut down, took tree

A Martinez man told police Tuesday that he saw a woman cut a tree from his yard.

The 53-year-old said that just after 12:30 p.m., he saw a woman cut down the small tree on the side of his home. He said he saw the woman get out of a large, dark-green GMC sport utility vehicle and clip the top out of the tree, put it into her vehicle and leave.

The tree was worth about $100.