REX TILLERSON FIRED, 8A
COME TO FRUITION Wesleyan girls bloom en route to 13th state title • Sports, 9A
CIA chief eyed to replace ousted secretary of state
Gwinnett Daily Post WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 2018
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75 cents ©2018 SCNI
Vol. 48, No. 78
Man pleads guilty in $1M email scam guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, A 27-year-old Duluth conspiracy man recently pleaded guilty to commit in federal court of attemptbank fraud ing to con his victims out of and money Kerby more than $1 million as part launderRigaud of an international email ing for his scam, the Justice Departrole as a “key player” in a ment said Monday. business email compromise Kerby Rigaud pleaded scam that affected victims
BY ISABEL HUGHES
isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com
across the U.S. between April 2015 and April 2016, a Department of Justice news release said. “In numerous instances, victims, including those identified in the indictment as T.W., A.P., and J.L., received emails that purported to be from trusted sources, including banking representatives and closing agents,” the release said. “The
emails directed the victims to wire money to specific bank accounts, some of which were opened in the metro-Atlanta area.” Rigaud’s co-conspirators sent the emails, the DOJ said, and sometimes hacked into victims’ email accounts. They also “spoofed” the email addresses, meaning they took steps to make the
email appear as if it were sent by a trusted source, when, in reality, it was sent from a different account by a “malicious actor.” “Rigaud and his co-conspirators used cyberspace to organize a complex criminal scheme that crossed borders and defrauded numerous people right here in Georgia,” said Kenneth Cronin, special agent in charge
of the Secret Service’s Atlanta Field Office. “The United States Secret Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to place a high priority on investigating cases that take advantage of unsuspecting victims.” The DOJ also said Rigaud recruited “numerous
See SCAM, Page 7A
Bookstore moving to new location BY CURT YEOMANS curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com
‘Marquee election’
State Rep. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville, answers a question during a Secretary of State Republican Candidates Forum hosted by the Gwinnett Republican Women at the county’s GOP headquarters in Gwinnett Place Mall on Monday. (Staff Photos: Curt Yeomans)
GOP secretary of state candidates assert race’s importance
“
BY CURT YEOMANS
curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com
With open races for governor and lieutenant governor ahead of it, the Secretary of State’s race won’t be the top-of-theticket race in Georgia this year, but it will be the most important one, according to some of the Republicans seeking the office. The four Republicans seeking the office — state Reps. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville, and Brad Raffensperger, R-Johns Creek, Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, and former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle — participated in a GOP candidates forum hosted by the Gwinnett Republican Women at the county’s Republican headquarters in Gwinnett Place Mall Monday.
— State Rep. Buzz Brockway, R-Lawrenceville
Republican candidates for secretary of state answer a question posed during a forum hosted by the Gwinnett Republican Women at the Gwinnett County Republican Party headquarters in Duluth on Monday night.
MORE ONLINE Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for more photos from the forum.
At times, the candidates addressed what they felt the stakes were in the race while targeting John Barrow, one of
three Democrats running for the office. “This is going to be the marquee election in November,” McKoon said. “It’s not the governor’s race, it’s not the lieutenant governor’s race. There will be millions and millions of dollars pouring into this
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state because the Democrats know if they can seize control of the machinery of the elections, then they’ll start going after the governor’s mansion and everything else.” The forum gave the candidates the opportunity to talk about the work of a statewide office that may not be as glamorous as the offices of governor or lieutenant governor, but plays an important role See FORUM, Page 5A
BOOKS For Less recently announced it is moving into the space occupied by LONA Gallery on the Lawrenceville Square in April. City officials said the gallery’s owners said they were going to close March 31. (Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans)
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“This is a very, very important election — this could be a turning point election for the state of Georgia.”
Downtown Lawrenceville will soon lose an art gallery but gain a new bookstore in its place. The father and son owners of BOOKS For Less, Jack and Bryan Mason, recently announced they are moving the store from its location in Buford to a new space on the Lawrenceville Square. They will be moving into the space curently occupied by LONA Gallery, which Lawrenceville officials said will be closing March 31 after eight years on the square. The move puts BOOKS For Less near their sister company, Boulder Creek Coffee. The coffee shop had shared a space with BOOKS for Less in Buford, but it moved to the old Lawrenceville welcome center in December. “We have been so impressed with the area after seeing the new influx of customers down there,” the book store’s owners said in a letter to customers. “As most of you are aware, the City of Lawrenceville is about to experience a significant amount of growth in the downtown area, and we are looking forward to being a part of it.” BOOKS For Less has been around for 22 years, touting itself as a place where book lovers can get something to read at up to 40 percent off on new books and up to 80 percent off gently used books. The shop will open in its new location at 176 W. Crogan St. in April. The bookstore’s owners said customers will have until April 1 to use trade credits at the location in Buford before the move happens. “We know many of you will be happy about this as the large majority of our customer base calls Lawrenceville home, so we’ll be moving closer to you again,” BOOKS For Less’ owners said.
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