AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A Columbia County woman was sentenced to federal prison for using stolen and counterfeit business checks to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Dechanta Benning, 35, was sentenced to 70 months in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and five years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term, according to prosecutors.

U.S. District Court Judge Randall Hall also ordered Benning to pay a $2,500 fine and $300 in special assessments.

Benning obtained business checks stolen from the U.S. Postal Service, altered them, deposited the altered checks into the bank accounts of co-conspirators as well as her own accounts, then withdrew the money, according to prosecutors.

The money was withdrawn before the banks were able to recognize the checks as fraudulent.

Benning stole approximately $1 million through this scheme, according to prosecutors.

There were hundreds of victims.

“Financial fraud schemes like this don’t just impact banks — they devastate small businesses, families, and entire communities,” said Matthew Ploskunak of the FBI’s Augusta office.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the FBI.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting and defending the nation’s mail system from theft and aggressively pursuing those who would commit fraud in this district,” U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap said.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Kristi Goodwin Connell has been sworn in as the new Superior Court judge of the Augusta Judicial Court by Gov. Brian Kemp.

Connell was an assistant district attorney for Columbia Judicial Court and has been practicing law in the Augusta area for 25 years.

She worked as assistant district attorney and chief assistant district attorney at the Augusta Judicial Court.

Also in the courts

Katherine “Kate” Mason, a longtime public defender and former statewide leader with the Georgia Public Defender Council was honored at a retirement celebration Thursday.

The event also included the swearing-in of Lee Prescott as circuit public defender of the Augusta Judicial Circuit.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is aiming to implement child care programs at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta.

In 2021, Congress passed the Johnny Isakson and David P. Row Act, which mandated that each VA Medical Center implement a child care assistance program by Jan. 4, 2026.

Now, Sen. Ossoff says he is seeking updates on the program at the Augusta VA Medical Center.

“This program will help Georgia veterans access VA medical care without having to find child care during their appointments. With the deadline for implementation having now passed, I am interested in learning what your facility has done to support this effort,” Ossoff wrote to Augusta VAMC Acting Executive Director Lovetta Ford.

The Veterans Child Care Assistance Program is a program aimed at making it easier for Georgia veterans to access health care by reducing the difficulty of finding child care during medical appointments.

A 2024 study found that more than 75% of veterans indicated that they needed child care assistance during health care appointments, with 73% reporting barriers to finding child care.

In 2024, Sen. Ossoff’s bipartisan Gold Star Children Education Act was signed into law to support the education of children after the loss of a parent who served.

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