A White Plains man was arrested April 17 after he fired a gun several times in the direction of fishermen jugging for catfish on Lake Oconee.
Charles Eugene Becht, 72, of 1151 White Oak Dr., now faces charges on six counts of reckless conduct.
According to reports, a deputy was originally dispatched to Becht’s address at 11:30 p.m. after he complained of someone shining a light into his residence from the lake.
Moments later, another party called GCSO dispatch and said someone was cursing and firing a weapon in their direction at the same location.
Becht then called again and said he no longer needed the deputies because he “took care of it himself.” Deputy Carter Cadwallader arrived at the scene and met with the people who said they were being shot at near the Double Bridges Road boat ramp.
One of them told Cadwallader that he and some others were jugging for catfish in a nearby cove when one of the homeowners started calling them vulgar names and shooting at them.
The witness said he could see muzzle flashes, two of which were fired upward and two aimed in their direction. The witness then explained he and his companions were using spotlights to illuminate the jugs (referring to the plastic pool noodles that mark the traps in the water). Another witness said they had been jugging since about 7:30 p.m., and they were in the nearby cove checking the traps.
He explained that he has spotlights on his boat, all angled toward the water. He said that every time they pointed the spotlight at a jug toward a specific house, a male voice told them to stop shining the light in that direction.
Shortly after that, he said he heard a gunshot.
The witness said he “hollered at the subject,” telling him they had children with them, but the subject replied with two more gunshots.
The witnesses all stated they could hear bullets impacting objects nearby, and all wanted him prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Sgt. Eli Franks had made contact with Becht at his residence to collect a firearm, and Becht admitted to shooting the gun.
Becht said that two boats were shining their lights while he was watching television and believed they might have been planning to steal his “Lowrance” fish finder.
He told Cadwallader that he shot three or four rounds into the woods off his back deck.
Franks collected three shell casings along with the firearm. A preliminary breath sample later showed that Becht tested positive for a high concentration of alcohol.
Cadwallader said, based upon the totality of circumstances, including the physical evidence, testimony of both parties, and Becht’s admission that he fired the weapon in the direction of the boaters, Becht was charged with six counts of reckless conduct, one count for each individual in the group Becht fired toward.