AUGUSTA, GEORGIA (BNO NEWS) – A resident of Waynesboro, Georgia was indicted last week for conspiring to defraud the United States by means of false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Edward Tarver announced on Tuesday.

Charlene Hughes is allegedly involved with more than 25 fraudulent tax returns that claimed more than $90,000 between April 2006 and August 2007. The prosecutors claim that Hughes used false information about employers and wages in her tax returns.

Hughes appeared at Court this Tuesday and would be released on a $10,000 bond. If she is found guilty she could face up to 10 years imprisonment.

The indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) and the FBI that was set in the eve of this year’s tax filing season and is aggressively pursuing any attempts to defraud the tax system.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GEORGIA (BNO NEWS) — A small plane crashed in Lawrenceville, Georgia on Monday, local and federal officials said.

The Beechcraft 65 aircraft went down near Simmons Circle and Spring Circle, about 1.5 mile from Runway 25 at Gwinnett County Airport where it departed. Four people were on board the plane.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen confirmed one of the people on board had been confirmed killed, while the other three passengers were taken to a local hospital.

Federal records show the 1960-build aircraft was registered to Robert Peter Watson, Sr. of Dawsonville, Georgia. It was not immediately clear if Watson was actually on board the plane when it crashed in Lawrenceville.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the cause of the accident.

ATLANTA (BNO NEWS) – A 14-story Atlanta building caught fire on Friday, causing damage to two floors.

Fire units were dispatched to a reported structure fire, who, upon arrival, immediately upgraded to a higher priority alarm due to the potential danger the fire presented to a building of this size and occupancy.

The fire was located and subsequently confined to a showroom on the 13th floor. It was contained by the building’s sprinkler system. The floor where the fire broke out received fire, smoke, and water damage, while the 12th floor only received water damage.

Some portions of the building were evacuated because of the smoke, but there were no reported injuries.

Fire investigators determined that the cause of the fire was due to storage boxes being too close in proximity to a lamp.

CARROLTON, GEORGIA (BNO NEWS) — Federal regulators on Friday closed the First National Bank of Georgia in Carrolton, Georgia marking the tenth U.S. bank failure of 2010 following an economic turbulent year that saw more than one hundred U.S. banks fail.

The First National Bank of Georgia was closed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency after its regular closing time on Friday. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was appointed as receiver following its closure, who immediately entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with the Georgia-based Community & Southern Bank to assume all of the failed bank’s deposits.

Most, if not all customers, should see no or little service disruptions despite the closure of the institution. On Saturday, all 11 branches of the First National Bank of Georgia will reopen during their normal business hours as branches of Community & Southern Bank.

All of the failed bank’s services, including checks, ATM and debit cards, will remain active. “Checks drawn on the bank will continue to be processed,” the FDIC said in a statement. “Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual.”

As of September of last year, the First National Bank of Georgia had approximately $832.6 million in total assets and $757.9 million in total deposits. Community & Southern Bank paid the FDIC a premium of 1.25 percent to assume First National Bank of Georgia deposits, the FDIC said. “In addition to assuming all of the deposits of the failed bank, Community & Southern Bank agreed to purchase essentially all of the assets.”

The FDIC and Community & Southern Bank entered into a loss-share transaction on approximately $607.4 million of First National Bank of Georgia’s assets. Community & Southern Bank will share in the losses on the asset pools covered under the loss-share agreement. The loss-share transaction is projected to maximize returns on the assets covered by keeping them in the private sector. The transaction also is expected to minimize disruptions for loan customers.

The FDIC said it estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $260.4 million. It said Community & Southern Bank’s acquisition of the deposits was the “least costly” resolution compared to other alternatives.

Friday’s closure was not only the tenth U.S. bank failure of 2010 but was also Georgia’s first bank failure since December 18, 2009. Regulators then closed the Rockbridge Commercial Bank in Atlanta.

MACON, GEORGIA (BNO NEWS) — Angela Hicks, a small business owner from Macon, Georgia on Wednesday announced her candidacy for the U.S. Congress of the state’s 8th Congressional District.

Angela opened STUFF IT Mobile Storage in 2007 and earned her Undergraduate Degree in Risk Management from the University of Georgia and her Masters Degree from Georgia College & State University.

“This is a critical time for America,” Hicks said. “Democrats in Washington are intentionally or inadvertently destroying the economic fabric of our great national. Everyday our freedoms evaporate, our jobs disappear, our government grows, our economy dies and we need to take a stand this year top stop it,” she added.

Hicks said that Tuesday’s defeat for Democrats in Massachusetts shows that all Democrats – including her opponent Jim Marshall – are highly vulnerable this year. “This November we have the opportunity to say, “Enough is Enough” to Washington – enough debt, enough spending, enough taxes, enough unemployment,” Hicks said.

“Georgians are tired of the constant assault on achievers, the rewarding of dependency and the mainstreaming of terrorists led by Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, President Obama, and allowed by Democrat members of Congress like Mr. Marshall,” she continued. “The important issues facing our great nation and the 8th District require the conviction of a leader, not the last minute politically convenient votes of Mr. Marshall. It’s time for a new team to lead America in 2010 and I am honored to provide the 8th District voters with a fiscal conservative choice in November.”

Hicks also announced State Senator Ross Tolleson as Honorary Chair of her campaign leadership team. She further has a husband, Ricky, who she married in 1981. They also have two twin daughters, Horbor and Bailey.

Her campaign website can be found at www.angelahicks2010.com.