Deputy faces more charges
By Brad Bauer, bbauer@mariettatimes.comA Washington County sheriff’s detective charged in February with domestic violence is facing additional charges after he was accused of punching a man after a card game Friday.
Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said a summons was requested for Det. Mark Tilton, 39, of Lowell, for assault.
Tilton is accused of punching Andrew S. Mahoney, 39, of 308 Bear Creek Road, Lowell, after a confrontation Friday evening at 9684 State Route 60.
Mincks said the fight was likely in response to an internal affairs investigation being conducted by the sheriff’s office relating to the domestic violence charges. He said Mahoney was recently asked to provide information about the couple.
“I think Mark might have questioned him about that,” Mincks said. “There are conflicting stories and we’ll have to have a judge decide what actually happened. But we feel there was more than enough probable cause to request the summons.”
Mincks said the argument sparked during a card game, went outside and then Tilton punched Mahoney in the face.
Mahoney is also facing charges after deputies said they found a handgun in his truck. The man admitted to having been drinking and he is charged with having a weapon while intoxicated.
As for the domestic violence charges, Tilton has pleaded not guilty and requested a trial. His attorney said Tilton’s wife, Teresa Tilton, 38, fabricated the accusation in order to put his career and livelihood in jeopardy.
A conviction could cost Tilton his jobs with the sheriff’s office and the military.
Tilton, a seven-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, has been on military leave from the sheriff’s office since September.
Teresa Tilton is a corrections officer at the Washington County Jail, but has been on medical leave for the past several months from an injury unrelated to the domestic violence charges, Mincks said.
Her future with the sheriff’s office is also in jeopardy, Mincks said.
“Due to the allegations we have expanded our internal affairs investigation to include Teresa,” Mincks said. “It is a separate internal affairs investigation.”
Mincks said Tilton is an officer with the U.S. Army Reserves and has been preparing a unit for deployment to Iraq. It would be Tilton’s second tour in the past few years. His first tour kept him in Iraq for 17 months.
No court dates for either men had been set as of Sunday.
