Man charged in Sylvester forgery case

SYLVESTER — Two men were arrested in Sylvester early Tuesday, one of them for marijuana possession and the other for various forgery-related charges, speeding and driving on a suspended license.

According to a release by the Sylvester Police Department, shortly after 4 a.m. Patrolman Adam Celinski noticed a black Hyundai Sonata traveling at a high rate of speed on Franklin Street near the intersection of East Street. The Sonata was clocked by a detection device at 55 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone, prompting Celinski to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, officials say.

When Celinski detected an odor of marijuana inside the Sonata, a search uncovered an amount of marijuana less than one ounce and also “numerous” personal and business checks with address locations as far away as Michigan, Montana and Washington D.C., the release states.

Following a driver’s license check, Phillip Harris, aka Playmaker P, 22, of Lawrenceville was arrested at the scene, charged with speeding and driving while license suspended.

Djarvis Manuel, 23, a passenger in the Sonata, was charged with possession of marijuana less than one ounce and was released from jail on Thursday, officials say. An unidentified third passenger was not charged.

Harris remained in the Worth County jail Thursday with additional charges of forgery in the 3rd degree and theft by receiving stolen property, officials say.

Ronnie Graddy, investigative division commander of the SPD, said the variety and quantity of the checks and duplicates, stolen and manufactured, have prompted an extended investigation involving other agencies around the state.

Officials say at least 20 warrants have been taken on Harris in connection with the checks, with additional charges pending.

“This will be a long and tedious investigation,”Graddy said, “But financial cases like this one tend to be that way.”