Man Charged After Claiming To Have Coronavirus At Cobb Jail

COBB COUNTY, GA – A man has been arrested after falsely claiming he had the new coronavirus while he was being booked into Cobb County jail earlier this week.

According to an April 12 arrest warrant, Ronald Nathaniel Steward, 29, was being booked around 10:30 a.m. on April 11 when he said he had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Steward, who lives in Cumming in Forsyth County, claimed he had been tested at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, but a follow up call showed he had never been tested or treated for COVID-19 at that hospital.

Steward was being booked for unrelated obstruction and battery charges when he made the false claim. He is now in custody without bond, charged with making false statements and terroristic threats.

He was admitted to a single-person cell and quarantined for two weeks away from other inmates, according to the warrant.

Get the latest updates on the new coronavirus in Georgia as they happen. Sign up for free news alerts and a newsletter in your Patch town.