City Employee Charged with Stealing Gas

Dennis E. Lewallen and John A. Criswell, Jr. are both charged with theft by taking.

The charges came as a result of a resident at Edward’s Trailer Park, on Wyatt Road near Shady Dale, taking a video of Mr. Lewallen and Mr. Criswell allegedly siphoning gas from a city owned truck last Wednesday, Nov. 3. The gas was siphoned into two containers and was approximately six gallons.

Mr. Lewallen is an employee of the city of Monticello, where he is the head of the city’s gas department, which has a total of three employees including himself. He is also the pastor of Believer’s Baptist Church on Post Road, and his address is listed in Shady Dale.

According to the city manager, he knows of no work-related reason for the city truck to have been where it was, and a letter was issued Tuesday suspending Mr. Lewallen without pay. Warrants were takenin the case Tuseday afternoon by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.

Apparently a resident of the mobile home park videoed the activity then contacted Channel 5 News in Atlanta and an officer with the Monticello Police Department (MPD). After an initial investigation the MPD turned the investigation over to the county because of the location of the incident.

Also, from November 2-8, the JCSO reported the following arrests:
Willie Rhodes, 39, Union Point—criminal damage to property in the second degree.
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Kristin Kathleen Parsons, 40, Warner Robins—cruelty to children in the third degree and battery.

Christopher Everette Head, 33, Monticello—battery, cruelty to children in the third degree and criminal trespass.

Steven Kelly Brownlee, 39, Monticello—disorderly conduct.

During this same period deputies with the JCSO responded to 108 calls for service.

The MPD, during this same period reported the following arrests:

Kenneth Anthony Thurman, 47, Monticello—public drunkenness.

Andy Mark Carter, 45, Monticello—public drunkenness.

Linda Marie McGuire, 51, Monticello—disorderly conduct.

Terry Lee Lynch, 45, Monticello—disorderly conduct.

Also, during this period officers with the MPD responded to 55 calls for service.

In addition, The Department of Natural Resources reported the two following arrests:

Wayne David Barr, 57, Monticello—littering on public property.

Virgil Lamar Maddox, 40, Rome—hold for warrants in Floyd County.

And finally, the Georgia State Patrol reported the arrest of Tony Garnett Brannon, 44, of Monticello and charged him with windshield violation and driving while license revoked or suspended, also hold for warrant in Baldwin County.