Chief Judge Lisa Godbey Wood of the U.S. Southern District of Georgia delivered a scathing admonition as well as a prison sentence Monday to former Statesboro City Councilman Gary Lewis, who pled guilty to extortion in April. In a surprise move, before sentencing, the court played recordings of 10 voicemail messages left on the Statesboro Herald's Soundoff call-in line, allegedly made by Lewis, uttering dark accusations about Statesboro's Mayor, Jan Moore. Lewis pled guilty in April to demanding $2,500 from a victim, whom he identified by name in court Monday as Greg Parker, owner of Parker's convenience stores, in exchange for the passage of a Statesboro city ordinance that would allow drive-thru alcohol sales.
Lewis sentenced to 15 months for extortion
Judge hears anonymous calls threatening Statesboro mayor