A Savannah woman who used the Internet to scam runners in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon out of $8,300 has been charged with felony theft by taking.
Amanda Whitford, 41, of the 400 block of Price Street, was arrested after 18 individuals reported renting a house referred to as “The Pink Cottage” on her block for Nov. 4–6 and losing their deposit. The cottage had been advertised on a website.
Police say she communicated with the visitors via cell phone, collecting $8,296 in deposits for the same dates. Two weeks before she advised them the cottage received water damage rendering it uninhabitable and offered to return the deposits, but never did.
The money has not been recovered.
• Three suspects are in custody following a search of a residence that resulted in the seizure of an inactive methamphetamine lab.
Members of the Chatham–Savannah Counter Narcotics Team (CNT) searched a residence in the 100 block of Bellingrath Court on the Southside. CNT began its investigation after receiving information that persons residing at the residence were involved in the illegal manufacturing of meth inside the residence.
While conducting the search, agents discovered an inactive meth lab along with other evidence that indicated these meth cooks had occurred on previous occasions at this same residence.
CNT arrested 49–year old Denny Maxwell of Savannah, 23–year–old Kaycie Rowell of Hazlehurst, Ga., and 31–year–old Jason Steverson, also of Hazlehurst.
Maxwell was charged with Manufacturing of methamphetamine. Stevenson was charged with Manufacturing of methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Rowell was charged with Unlawful Purchase/Possession of Pseudoephedrine and Obstruction by Fleeing.
• An 18–year–old Savannah man has been charged with burglary after breaking into his neighbor’s house.
Roderick Parrish of the 800 block of Tavern Road was arrested at his own residence after his neighbor arrived home unexpectedly and saw two men burglarizing his house.
One ran into the house next door and the other began jumping fences to escape.
Police went next door and confronted Parrish, who was identified as one of the suspects. All of the items taken were recovered and returned to the victim.
• A 25–year–old Savannah man turned himself in after being contacted by police to face charges from the robbery of a dice game in which another man was shot Nov. 15.
Jonathan Anthony Williams has been charged with aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. He turned himself in to the Chatham County Detention Center.
He is charged in the robbery on the 300 block of Lewis Drive in which a gunman walked into the dice game at an apartment, demanded all the money and then shot Jeffery Sams, then 18.
Sams was transported to Memorial University Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
