8-Time Felon Will Spend 25 Years In Prison

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — A Douglas County man who's been convicted of eight felony crimes in his lifetime won't be preying on the public again any time soon.

Ronnie Lawton was sentenced in Douglas County Superior Court on Wednesday to spend the next 25 years in prison. The sentence, by Judge Cynthia Adams, followed Lawton's conviction last week on charges of identity fraud, forgery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

He had faced a maximum possible sentence of 38 years in prison and, due to his criminal history, he will be ineligible for parole, according to the Douglas County District Attorney's office.

During sentencing, Adams cited Lawton's prior convictions, the far-reaching damage that identify fraud does to families and their finances and Lawton's lack of remorse as factors.

On Jan. 27, 2016, officers from the Douglasville Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff's Office pulled over Lawton's SUV for multiple traffic violations. Officers found drugs when they did a search of the vehicle, as well as multiple ledgers containing names, Social Security numbers, bank routing numbers and dates of birth.

They also recovered counterfeit money, checks and credit cards, along with a how-to manual with details on how to fraudulently emboss fake credit cards. They found a .40-caliber pistol and ammunition. All of those items were in a duffel bag belonging to Lawton.

Investigators contacted people whose names were on the ledgers and learned those people were victims of identity fraud and that Lawton had been creating bank accounts using their personal information. The victims spanned over 10 states and multiple continents.

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Following a three-day trial, the jury returned its guilty verdicts in less than 45 minutes.

"Ronnie Lawton is a career criminal who had various convictions for trafficking cocaine, robbery, forgery and theft," said Assistant District Attorney Joe Cusack, who prosecuted the case. "He’s proved time and time again he would not hesitate to steal from innocent individuals. I am pleased this sentence will put a stop to Ronnie
Lawton’s criminal career."

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