George Thacker News Today

Lawyers for the family of former Rhea County Executive George Thacker, who federal officials said died in a South Carolina federal prison in December from COVID-19 after having been incarcerated less than three weeks, contend there was negligence on the part of the prison.

Financial fraudsters turned the COVID-19 loans bonanza into luxury shopping sprees, with the average scheme netting $1.9 million, according to criminal justice professor Marie Springer.

Valesky Barosy was an up-and-coming entrepreneur, having immigrated from Haiti and quickly making a name for himself in southern Florida as a million-dollar dealmaker.

Thacker resigned in April before pleading guilty to wire fraud in federal court.

Federal prison officials confirmed Tuesday that former Rhea County Executive George Thacker died in custody Monday at a federal prison in South Carolina, where he had been incarcerated less than three weeks.

Former Rhea County Executive is headed to federal prison; DOJ rounds up five Memphis IRS employees

George Thacker was sentenced to nearly three years in prison for the scheme. The DOJ said he used $650,000 in PPP and EIDL funds to buy cryptocurrencies.

George Thacker will serve 33 months in prison to be followed by three years of probation in addition to being fined more than $665,000.

Former County Executive George Thacker resigned in April before pleading guilty to wire fraud in federal court.

M Anaya Metoya Smith was arrested after officials said she threatened via voicemail to blow up the high school in Cocoa, Fla., unless cafeteria workers started giving her son larger portions, prompting an evacuation of the building.