A Tifton businessman was recently sentenced to 10 years’ probation and ordered to pay fines and retribution to some of his victims after he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree forgery and theft by deception.

Charles Ray Goodman, 60, was arrested in January 2008 and charged with 15 counts of first-degree forgery and 17 counts of theft by taking. Goodman entered his guilty plea Jan. 13 and Tift Superior Court Judge Melanie Cross sentenced him the next day.

Goodman admitted that while operating Ray Goodman Home Center, he sold mobile homes in 2006 and 2007 as being newer models than they actually were. The victims included people and companies from Tifton and Tift County, Alapaha and Tallahassee, Fla.

In late February 2009, Goodman was charged with another count of theft by deception for allegedly taking a $10,000 down payment from a man for a land/home package on property he did not own.

Goodman was released Feb. 21 after posting a $20,000 bond with special conditions that stipulated he be released every day from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. within eight hours of his mother’s death and that he be allowed to participate in preparations for his mother’s funeral. Goodman’s mother died Feb. 22.

According to records obtained from Tift County Superior Court, Goodman’s forgery charges stemmed from his signing the names of other people to “Manufacturer’s Statement or Certificate of Origin to a Manufactured Home” and delivering the paperwork to the Tift County Tax Commissioner’s office.

According to additional records, Cross sentenced Goodman under the Probation Options Management Act/Sanctions Cap Detention Center. Also, according to the “Special Conditions” of Goodman’s sentence, Cross granted him credit for the time he spent incarcerated at the Tift County jail since Feb. 27 but also sentenced him to serve “not less than 15 months nor more than 18 months” at a Probation Detention Center.

Goodman was ordered to show proof that he had paid four 2008 victims a total of $23,917, a 2010 victim $2,500 and a $10,000 fine at the time he was sentenced. Cross also ordered Goodman to perform 40 hours of community service.

Several of the counts against Goodman weren’t prosecuted. According to copies of dismissals on file, district attorney Paul Bowden dismissed some of the charges in certain cases either because Goodman had already paid restitution to the victims or “it appears that the interests of justice are best served by refraining from prosecuting said offense at the present time.”

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.