Crimes mar weekend of Chattooga hiking and camping

While visitors were enjoying an April weekend on the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River, a thief stole their personal belongings. Weeks of investigation have led to multiple theft charges against a 38-year old resident of Tiger, Georgia. James Bentley Cannon was lodged in the Oconee County Jail at Walhalla yesterday. The Oconee Sheriff’s Office has identified two parties of river visitors from Georgia and Tennessee as the victims. While those people were either hiking or camping, vehicles in the parking lot off U-S 76 were broken into and possessions stolen. Those possessions included cash, a Social Security card, wallets, bank cards, clothes, book bags, tools, luggage and computers.