Thrift makes bond of $1,500
Ware County Chairman Elmer Thrift is free on a $1,500 bond after being charged with Terroristic Threats and Acts following a hearing Thursday in Magistrate Court.
Thrift’s charge August 22 was issued by Chief Magistrate Judge of Effingham County Scott Lewis following the probable cause hearing. The county chairman turned himself in to the Ware County jail at 2 p.m. Thursday.
The charge, Satute 16-11-37, is a misdemeanor.
The plaintiff, Ware County Public Works Director Larry Thrift, represented himself at the hearing. He has been in the position since May, 2024.
The defendant, Chairman Elmer Thrift, was represented by Attorney Bradley Collins of The Collins Law Group, P.C.
Larry Thrift filed charges with the Ware County Sheriff’s office after Elmer Thrift allegedly threatened bodily harm during a Tuesday, July 30 verbal altercation. The incident occurred in Chairman Thrift’s office in the Ware County Administrative Building.
Public Works Director Thrift submitted an audio recording of the incident made on a personal audio recording device in his pocket.
The audio recording begins with a conversation between the chairman and Billy Lee of Beach Pest Control, who was in the building spraying. The conversation revolves around standing water on Beach Road near Lee’s home.
Larry Thrift is invited into the conversation to discuss the road. Lee leaves the conversation when Chairman Thrift becomes annoyed.
Larry Thrift begins to leave saying, “I just wanted to say, ‘Hey’ to you all.”
At this point, Chairman Thrift begins to question Larry Thrift about phone calls he made questioning actions made by the chairman. The altercation is peppered with expletives on the part of the chairman, and comments are made which could be taken as threatening.
Following the submission of evidence, Collins aggressively questioned Larry Thrift regarding whether or not he wanted a Good Behavior Bond in lieu of pressing criminal charges.
Larry Thrift maintained his desire to press criminal charges.
When asked by Collins why he had the recording device, Larry Thrift replied he had been threatened by the chairman in the past. Collins accused Larry Thrift of luring the chairman into a trap.
Thrift
Video from the building’s surveillance camera was also submitted by Larry Thrift as evidence during the hearing.
Elmer Thrift did not speak at the hearing, choosing to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.
All communication between the commissioner and public works director must be made through County Manager Scott Moye as a condition of the bond.
The case will move to state court at an as yet unnamed date.
