Staff reports



VALDOSTA — Southern Circuit District Attorney David Miller announced three felony convictions for recent criminal trials.

Zabian Bellamy, Omega Calhoun and Byron Calhoun were convicted last week of unrelated offenses. Sentencing hearings will be held in the near future.

Bellamy, 20, was convicted on two counts of aggravated assault on peace officers, interference with government property and 10 traffic charges following a March 27, 2001, incident in which he hit a sheriff’s deputy and his car and led officers on a chase before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot.

Bellamy faces up to 55 years for the 13 charges. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bennett Threlkeld.

Calhoun, 22, was convicted for the Nov. 7, 2000, armed robbery of the Ramada Inn on West Hill Avenue. Prosecutor Brad Shealy showed that Calhoun entered the motel around 10 p.m., brandished a silver handgun, took money and receipts from the register and fled south on foot.

Sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle on I-75 a few minutes later for having an invalid tag and received permission to search the vehicle after observing a BB gun in the car. They noticed the car’s hatch back was ajar and found Calhoun in the trunk with the cash and a loaded .25-caliber handgun.

Calhoun initially denied involvement, despite a positive identification from the motel clerk, saying he was hiding from a jealous husband. He eventually confessed to the robbery but denied using a gun.

Nonetheless, Calhoun was convicted on the armed robbery charge as well as for possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. He faces 10-20 years to life on the robbery charge and an additional five years for the gun charge. He is also under indictment for another Valdosta armed robbery and aggravated assault charges in the Alapaha Judicial Circuit.

Threlkeld also prosecuted Garrison for two counts of sale of cocaine. Garrison twice sold $20 or crack cocaine to a citizen informant on May 9, 2001. The transactions were videotaped and shown to the jury.

Garrison was convicted on both counts and sentenced as a recidivist due to prior cocaine and involuntary manslaughter convictions. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and 15 years probation on each count.