Crime

Dentist pleads guilty to Medicaid fraud

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, November 25th, 2013, 10:31am

MARIETTA, Ga. -- An Atlanta-area dentist has pleaded guilty to defrauding Georgia Medicaid of more than $2.2 million.

Kenneth Morris Wiggins Jr. entered his plea Friday, and was sentenced to seven years in prison and three on probation. He must also pay $2,230,618.81 in restitution.

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Wiggins owned Cosmetic and Family Dentistry of Roswell in Fulton County and Cosmetic and Family Dentistry of Marietta in Cobb County. Both businesses were providers in the Georgia Medicaid Program's Dental Services.

According to information presented in court, Wiggins billed Medicaid for procedures for 220 patients, even though he never actually performed the dental work.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Thursday, November 21st, 2013, 5:18am

ATLANTA -- Atlanta police have confirmed that the suspect in a fatal shooting in Midtown was found dead in his Clayton County home at around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Authorities said the man appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The suspect was wanted in connection with a shooting that occurred Wednesday morning.

Police said 47-year-old Bridgette Holt was found shot around 6:45 a.m at Norfolk Southern on Peachtree Street between 14th and 15th streets.

Atlanta Police Officer Kim Jones said Holt, a Norfolk Southern employee, was arriving at work when a male coworker approached her, spoke with her briefly and then shot her several times.

Holt lived in Hampton until about a month ago, when she moved to Kennesaw. Neighbor Eulonda Harris said Holt moved to Kennesaw after her home in Hampton was burglarized.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013, 9:27am

KENNESAW, Ga. -- A Florida woman faces charges in a weekend accident that left a Ringgold woman dead and her husband seriously injured.

The wreck happened shortly before 9 a.m. Saturday on southbound Interstate 75 near the Hickory Grove Road overpass in Kennesaw.

Cobb County Police Sgt. Dana Pierce said 47-year-old Diana Stepp was driving down the road when she sideswiped a Chevrolet Silverado towing a utility trailer filled with farm equipment.

The Chevy veered off the road and overturned in the center median. Its driver, 50-year-old James McNeece, was flown to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition. His wife, 45-year-old Reba McNeece, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Stepp was arrested and charged with second-degree vehicular homicide and failure to maintain lane, both misdemeanors, Pierce said.

Jail records show that, as of Tuesday morning, Stepp has not bonded out of jail.

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Submitted by Associated Press

Thursday, August 29th, 2013, 1:12pm

KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw Police arrested Pastor John Pinkston of Kennesaw's Congregation Church of God Seventh Day on Wednesday and charged him with felony child molestation and felony sexual battery.

Pinkston, a Dallas resident, is accused of molesting a 6-year-old girl at the church between July 17 and August 22. The girl's parents notified police after the girl told her parents of the improper contact.

He is accused of touching the girl after reaching inside her pants.

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Police said they took Pinkston into custody after investigating the claims. He was released after posting $35,000 bond.

Kennesaw Police are asking that anyone who may have information about Pinkston to call 770-422-2505.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, August 19th, 2013, 11:40am

Consultant pleads guilty in APS kickback scheme

ATLANTA -- A Kennesaw man has pleaded guilty to being part of a kickback scheme involving Atlanta Public Schools.

Mahendra Patel admitted in federal court that he conspired with APS chief information officer Jerome Oberlton to benefit from a certain firm receiving a $780,000 computer project from the school district.

"Patel subverted the fairness of the contracting process for his own benefit and ultimately undermined the trust taxpayers place in APS to provide high-quality educational services," U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said in a statement.

Oberlton pleaded not guilty in federal court in June. His trial date has not yet been set.

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Submitted by Associated Press

Thursday, July 11th, 2013, 7:16am

Woman charged in crash that hurt cheerleading coach

MARIETTA, Ga. -- Police have charged a Cobb County woman in a wreck that left a Marietta cheerleading coach seriously injured.

Investigators say Patricia Evans of Kennesaw was driving 72 mph on May 13 when she ran a red light at an intersection in Marietta and her vehicle slammed into one driven by Chris Gage.

Evans, who turned herself in Wednesday, is charged with serious injury by vehicle, reckless driving, speeding and violation of a traffic control device. Jail records show she posted $5,000 bond and was released around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Gage was in a coma for days after the accident and spent weeks in the hospital. He recently moved to the Shepherd Center to continue his recovery.

Gage is a coach for the Stingrays cheerleading organization.

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Submitted by Duffie Dixon, 11Alive Reporter

Thursday, May 2nd, 2013, 5:44am

MARIETTA, Ga. -- The man accused of flashing and attacking two women at a Cobb County park has been arrested.

William John Jacobson Jr. was taken into custody Wednesday. The 34-year-old Dallas man faces battery and public indecency charges.

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Cobb County Police Officer Mike Bowman said Jacobson is accused of charging at two women as they walked in Kennesaw National Park last month.

The victims told police they saw a half-naked man masturbating in the wood line. They said the man then knocked one of them to the ground before running off and driving away in a red pickup truck.

Jacobson confessed after he was questioned in the case, Bowman said.

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