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Non-support charges filed against 39 parents totaling nearly half-million dollars
The Putnam County Prosecutor's Office has charged 39 individuals with criminal non-support of children, it was announced Thursday.
The 39 individuals are alleged to be collectively $494,461.39 in arrears in child support.
"Charges have been filed on these 39," Putnam County Prosecutor Timothy Bookwalter advised. "I have asked the courts to find probable cause for their arrests and warrants have been issued."
Three defendants among the 39 charged have racked up more than $30,000 in delinquent child support payments. Heading the list is Gregory Sanders at $36,189, followed by Steven Hornback at $35,240 and Allen Broughton at $34,177.
Parents in arrears in child support can be charged with a Class C felony, punishable by up to eight years in prison, if they owe more than $15,000 in back support.
Those who owe less than $15,000 are subject to a Class D felony charge, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in jail.
It should always be remembered that charges are mere allegations and must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, the prosecutor added.
However, the 39 cases filed apparently represent just the tip of the child-support iceberg locally.
The Prosecutor's Office has 1,399 active delinquent child-support cases, Bookwalter told the Banner Graphic, explaining that those resulting in criminal charges being filed have been considered the most egregious.
Filing such charges, the prosecutor said, "means by this time we've gone through all the other options like civil proceedings and contempts (of court) and sending letters. This is sort of the last gasp."
Meanwhile, the intent of the filing process remains quite simple.
"The general goal is to get people to pay their child support," Book-walter acknowledged. "When we do this, it seems to affect everybody (owing child support), and overall people start doing a better job of paying their child support."
The process has been effective for the Putnam County Prosecutor's Office in the recent past.
"When they see this in the paper, they usually come in and want to settle up," Bookwalter said.
Charges have been filed against the following individuals:
-- Mark Albright, owing $16,883.64.
-- Kris Austin, owing $21,224.42.
-- Brian Bartley, owing $24,222.
-- Cody Bell, owing $3,453.66.
-- Keith Bodnarick, owing $15,480.54.
-- Danny Branam, owing $26,801.
-- Allen Braughton, owing $34,177.54.
-- Theodore Braun, owing $1,360.97.
-- Thomas Childers, owing $8,643.07.
-- Keith Clampitt, owing $3,640.
-- John Crane, owing $5,237.
-- Darien Davis, owing $4,370.87.
-- Willie Duncan, owing $21,420.
-- Matthew Eversole, owing $15,555.36.
-- Chris Gainor, owing $15,423.
-- James Greenier, owing $5,557.36
-- Joshua Harbruegar, owing $4,707.65
-- Steven Hornback, owing $35,240.
-- Derrick Johnson, owing $7,296.
-- Christopher Kwiek, owing $6,675.
-- James Lewis, owing $15,199.35.
-- Sean McClamroch, owing $12,159.01.
-- Damon Miller, owing $26,011.66.
-- Delton Moore, owing $3,419.
-- Chadwick Mullins, owing $1,463.87.
-- Joseph Nieder, owing $10,608.39.
-- William Padgett, owing $15,008.87.
-- Jillian Ray, owing $4,824.
-- Gregory Sanders, owing $36,189.95.
-- Donald Schmidt, owing $16,154.71.
-- Dexter Scott, owing $3,357.46.
-- Jeffrey Skinner, owing $26,826.92.
-- Eric Stewart, owing $1,889.09.
-- George Tekle, owing $1,456.76.
-- Kristopher Tipton, owing $1,396.10.
-- Robert Tobin, owing $7,293.
-- Troy Truax, owing $3,398.17.
-- J. Ames Webb, owing $26,863.
-- Jerome Zeller, owing $4,573.