Lake Lanier fishing guide, wife indicted

A well-known fishing guide on Lake Lanier and his wife were indicted Monday on a combined 29 felony charges for allegedly running a large fraud scheme, court records show.

Bradley Shane Watson and Pamela Jo Watson each face nine counts of theft by taking and one count of deposit account fraud, Forsyth County Superior Court records show. Bradley Watson also faces an additional count of theft by taking, seven counts of theft by deception and one count of theft by receiving.

The couple is accused of reportedly defrauding investors out of more than $235,000. When Bradley Watson was arrested in July 2018, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said he took money from two people for a boat deposit and investments to purchase boats for resale, AJC.com previously reported.

However, after he gave the two a check for $45,000, the check bounced, the sheriff's office said. Pamela Watson was arrested later in the month, and she's accused of writing bad checks on her husband's behalf.

Since then, more victims have come forward, leading to the numerous other charges against the couple. The alleged theft incidents took place between February 2016 and December 2017. The check bounced in April 2018, according to court records.

The two are also defendants in several civil lawsuits in Forsyth County, including one involving Carolina Skiff, which is a Waycross-based boat manufacturer, court records show. Bradley Watson allegedly had a marketing agreement with the company.

Judge Philip Smith is presiding over their cases. Bradley Watson’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 10.