The Local Lowdown Podcast

EXCLUSIVE: SHE HIT HIM AND DROVE AWAY. POLICE HAD PHOTOS, A TAG NUMBER, AND LEADS. NO ONE WAS EVER ARRESTED. WE’RE INVESTIGATING WHY. IF IT WERE YOU OR ME, WE’D ALREADY BE IN JAIL. 1000%..

By David Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief, The Local Lowdown

BRUNSWICK, GA — The Local Lowdown has launched an investigation into a March 4, 2026 hit-and-run on Riverside Drive in Brunswick — a case in which the Brunswick Police Department's own internal records show officers had photographs of the driver, her vehicle, and her tag number within minutes of the crash, and yet, more than three months later, no one has been arrested or charged.

We have obtained the full crash report, the 911 dispatch records, internal department emails, and text messages between command staff. Together, they paint a troubling picture: a case with what the department's own assistant chief called "leads," quietly marked CLOSED in the department's records system the very next morning — and reopened only after the victim went to City Hall demanding answers.

What the records show

On March 4, 2026, at approximately 6:05 PM, Marc Mercer called 911 to report that a maroon Ford SUV had struck his truck on Riverside Drive and was attempting to flee. Dispatch logs show Mercer relayed the tag number in real time while physically blocking the vehicle in — and that the SUV maneuvered around him and fled toward Glynn Avenue anyway. Before she escaped, Mercer photographed the driver, the vehicle, and the tag.

The responding officer's report confirmed the tag matched the photographs. The vehicle, a 2004 red Ford Expedition, is registered to a man on St. Simons Island. The crash report marked the case "Hit and Run" and found Vehicle 1 at fault.

Then, according to the department's own records management system, the case was approved and marked CLOSED at 10:42 AM on March 5 — less than 17 hours after the crash. No suspect interview. No canvass for camera footage. No follow-up.

The department's own leadership said it wasn't handled right

Internal emails we obtained show that after the victim contacted City Hall, Assistant Chief Ben Herron began pressing his command staff. In a March 20 email, Herron wrote that the driver "could have been under the influence," that skipping contact with the vehicle's owner was "a missed step in the investigation," and ordered a camera canvass.

In a March 30 text message, Herron went further: if the woman "was described as being DUI and we have done nothing to identify her with all this alleged evidence, BPD will look crazy if she hits someone else."

By May 4 — two months after the crash — Herron was still asking: "Whatever became of this investigation?" He noted that while a DUI charge could no longer be made, "we do have a leaving the scene of an accident charge. Apparently, people may know the identity of the suspect. No statute of limitations on this."

And on May 5, the assistant chief delivered his own verdict in writing: "This hit & run investigation was not well conducted as far as the follow up goes... no one ever went to the resident of the at-fault vehicle to do a little more digging."

When officers finally reached the SUV's registered owner by phone on May 6 — sixty-three days after the crash — he first said he was the driver, then, in the words of the official supplemental report, "doubled back" and claimed he didn't know who was driving his vehicle that day.

To this day: no arrest. No charges.

Who was behind the wheel?

According to a source with direct knowledge of the case, the driver, Allison Cupp is a woman whose estranged husband at the time formerly served as a Glynn County police officer and now works at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynn County. According to that source, officers on the scene wanted to make an arrest and were told by superiors not to. We want to be clear, her estranged husband at the time was NOT involved in the incident, and states he has no knowledge of why the BPD handled the case the way it did.

The Local Lowdown was withholding the driver's identity while we work to independently verify it, but we were able to verify the driver’s identity today. We do not yet know whether her alleged law enforcement connection is the reason no arrest was made. But we do know this: the evidence trail was there from minute one — photographs, a tag number, a registered owner, a Flock camera at the neighborhood entrance — and for two months, almost nothing was done with it.

If an ordinary citizen struck a vehicle, fled the scene while the victim begged them to stop, and was photographed doing it, would they still be walking free three months later?

This case fits a pattern The Local Lowdown has documented again and again in Brunswick and Glynn County: when the connected are credibly accused, accountability stalls. When ordinary people are accused, it doesn't.

We need your help

We have sent questions to the Brunswick Police Department and City of Brunswick officials and will publish their responses in full.

If you have ANY information about this incident — the March 4 hit-and-run on Riverside Drive, the identity of the driver, the events at the scene, or why no arrest was made — contact our tip line at [email protected]. You can remain completely anonymous. Our sources are protected, always.

Once our investigation is complete, we will publish everything we have. Every document. Every email. Every text message. The public deserves the whole truth. Here are the Law Enforcement Offcers involved in this case. Officers name and badge number(s):

Officer Tiara Wright badge #435
Officer Isaac Acevedo badge # 442
Officer Brian Lovett badge #491
Sergeant Kevin Yarborough badge #492
Captain Jose Galdamez badge #103
Captain Matthew Wilson badge #106
Assistant Chief Ben Herron badge #101
Chief Angela Smith badge #100

The Local Lowdown Team

A lot of people are asking what’s going on next Thursday. Here’s the short version:

A man named Kenneth Crews filed a frivolous court application called a Good Behavior Warrant against me — David Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Local Lowdown. He did this five days after I sent him a cease-and-desist letter over months of online harassment targeting this outlet and our team.

On his own court paperwork, he answered NO to every question asking whether I had actually threatened him, harmed him, or broken any law. He filed it anyway. The court accepted it.

On Thursday, June 18 at 9:30 AM, I have to appear at Glynn County Magistrate Court — 701 H Street, Brunswick — to defend myself and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

I have filed a full legal package arguing this warrant is a SLAPP — a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation — filed specifically to silence our journalism.

This is a First Amendment issue. A private citizen is attempting to use the court system as a weapon against an independent press.

The hearing is open to the public. If you believe in press freedom, we’d love to see you there.

Thursday, June 18 — 9:30 AM
Glynn County Magistrate Court
701 H Street, Brunswick, GA 31521

— David Goldberg, The Local Lowdown

**If you would like copies of the motions we filed —send us an email. This is an attack on every single citizen of Glynn County.

A Note to the Good Ones - THANK YOU!!

We want to make something very clear.

In the course of this work, we have encountered some truly remarkable law enforcement professionals — dedicated men and women of integrity who chose this career for all the right reasons. We cannot mention your names, and you know why. But we see you.

We read your messages. We receive your emails. We know the sacrifices you make every single day — not just for this community, but sometimes in the face of adversity within your very own departments. You have stood the test of time when it would have been far easier to look the other way.

Our mission has always been to expose the bad apples — and they exist, and we will not stop until they are held accountable. But we refuse to let that work cast a shadow over the men and women who show up every day with honor, passion, and a genuine love for the people they serve.

There is no medal. No certificate. No award that could ever capture what you give to this community quietly and without recognition.

To those officers — thank you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your service, your courage, and your integrity. We stand with you just as you have silently stood with us.

You are seen. You are appreciated. And you are not forgotten. Thank you for being YOU!!

— David Goldberg
The Local Lowdown

WE ARE CALLING ON EVERY PERSON IN GLYNN COUNTY TO STAND WITH US — JUNE 18, 2026

By David Goldberg | The Local Lowdown

They have tried everything to silence us.

They have called in favors. They have made back door deals. They have coordinated behind closed doors. They have posted our identities publicly in an attempt to put us at risk. They have filed false allegations. They have recruited pawns, organized pile-ons, and used every tool at their disposal — official and unofficial — to make us stop asking questions. These bad actors will stop at nothing.

We are still here!!

For years, The Local Lowdown has done what no one else in this community was willing to do. We investigated the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office and found what appears to be $60,000 to $80,000 in unexplained payroll and overtime linked to the Sheriff’s own son — Undersheriff Robbie Wade Jump — a man appointed by his father, with no competitive hiring process, no performance evaluations on file, and improperly redacted salary records.

We referred that matter to the GBI, the FBI Public Corruption Unit, and the Georgia Ethics Commission. The Glynn County Police Chief himself confirmed in writing that the information was forwarded to GBI Region 14. The investigation has concluded - we are waiting on the results.

We filed Open Records requests with the Brunswick Police Department and watched them blow past Georgia’s three-day legal deadline — not once, but twice — promising documents and then moving the goalpost the same day.

We have documented what the community already knows but has never seen written down: in Glynn County, if you have the right last name, the right friendships, and the right phone numbers saved in your phone — the rules do not apply to you.

A woman burned her mother’s body and received a proffer deal. Multiple DUI charges involving crashes and injuries — and law enforcement was forced to look the other way. These are not rumors. These are things this community has watched happen in real time, with real names attached, and real silence from the people paid to enforce the law.

When the powerful commit crimes, nothing happens.
When those same powerful people want someone silenced — the full weight of the system comes down fast. For example, look at the case in Waycross. The officer has assaulted the mother of his child and HER mom and walked….They were targeted.

That is exactly what is happening to us right now.

On June 18, 2026, at 9:30 AM, we will stand in the Glynn County Magistrate Court at 701 H Street in Brunswick — dragged there by a man who filed a Good Behavior Warrant against us five days after receiving our formal cease-and-desist letter. His own sworn application contained no incident date, no location, and no witnesses. Every factual checkbox was answered “NO.” This is not a legal filing. This is a weapon.

And it is being processed by a clerk who is the daughter of Sheriff Neal Jump and the sister of Undersheriff Robbie Jump — the same family at the center of our active investigation.

We have asked the court to address this conflict of interest. We have filed a pre-hearing briefs. We have filed a motion to dismiss. We have documented everything. It is all public record. We are fighting but we need your support {even if you want to remain anonymous for obvious reasons}

But here is the truth: we may be arrested. We may be put in handcuffs and paraded in front of this community. And if that happens, we want every person in Glynn County watching. We will vehemently defend our position on June 18th and in Federal Court thereafter; providing we lose.

We operate under pen names for a reason. We investigate in secret for a reason. We have watched what happens to people in this county who speak up — tragedy after tragedy, retaliation after retaliation, lives disrupted and families threatened. We know the cost. Hell folks, a sitting commissioner was murdered and thrown in the river by the very folks who swore an oath to protect and serve.

We chose to report anyway. For YOU THE PEOPLE. We fight for YOU. Now we need your help!

We chose it because someone has to. We chose it because our children deserve to grow up in a county where the law means something. We chose it because 23,000 of you have stood with us, and millions of viewers online. People shared our work, sent us tips, and trusted us to tell the truth when everyone else stayed quiet.

We are not going to stop. We are asking you to show up.

You do not need to say your name. You do not need to carry a sign. You simply need to be there — in that courthouse, in that gallery — so that whoever is sitting on that bench on June 18 looks out and sees this community watching.

📍 701 H Street, First Floor — Brunswick, GA 31521
🕤 9:30 AM — Thursday, June 18, 2026
⚖️ Glynn County Magistrate Court — Case No. MG2600542

If you cannot come, share this post. Right now. Share it everywhere. P-L-E-A-S-E…

The First Amendment is not a technicality. It is the reason a journalist can stand between the public and the people who govern them and say: we see what you are doing, and we are going to tell everyone.

We stand with every family that has been affected. We stand with every victim who has yet to receive justice. We stand with every mother, father, child, and loved one still searching for answers in unsolved cases. Our commitment has never been about us—it has always been about the people.

We will continue to fight, continue to speak, and continue to shine a light where others would prefer darkness. And whether we win or lose, we will know that we stood for truth, for accountability, and for the freedoms guaranteed to every American.

We pray for justice. We pray for healing. We pray for a better future for our community.

Stand with us.

— David Goldberg
The Local Lowdown
Serving Glynn County and Brunswick, Georgia

📧 [email protected]

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JESUP FAMILY SPEAKS OUT AFTER PLAYGROUND ACCIDENT LEAVES 11-YEAR-OLD FACING LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

By The Local Lowdown

JESUP, Ga. — A Wayne County family is asking difficult questions after an afternoon at a local playground turned into a life-altering medical emergency for their 11-year-old son.

Braden Daniels, a Jesup youth known by friends and family as an active athlete who loved baseball and spending time outdoors, is recovering after undergoing major brain surgery following a serious accident at Cracker Williams Park earlier this spring.

According to his parents, Braden was enjoying his spring break when a swing chain allegedly failed without warning, throwing him a significant distance through the air. What initially appeared to be a concussion quickly developed into something far more serious.

After multiple medical evaluations, scans, and consultations with specialists, doctors discovered a severe injury affecting the area where the brain and spinal cord connect. The condition ultimately required a complex surgical procedure at Memorial Health in Savannah.

Since the accident, Braden’s life has changed dramatically.

His family says he has missed the final months of school, been unable to participate in baseball, and has faced physical and emotional challenges throughout the recovery process. What was once a carefree childhood has been replaced by doctor’s appointments, rehabilitation concerns, and uncertainty about what the future may hold.

Despite the successful surgery, the Daniels family says the journey is far from over. Additional treatment and therapy may still be necessary as doctors continue monitoring his recovery.

The financial burden has also been substantial. Along with mounting medical expenses, the family has faced lost income and the countless costs associated with ongoing travel and specialized care.

As they focus on helping their son heal, Braden’s parents are also raising concerns about playground safety and maintenance. They believe aging equipment may have played a role in the incident and hope sharing their story encourages communities to take a closer look at public recreational facilities before another child is seriously injured.

Today, new chains have reportedly been installed on the swing set where the accident occurred. However, for the Daniels family, the focus remains squarely on Braden’s recovery and ensuring he receives the care needed to regain as much of his normal life as possible.

Community members have rallied around the family with prayers, encouragement, and financial support as Braden continues his rehabilitation.

HOW TO HELP

Those wishing to support Braden and his family can contribute through their GoFundMe fundraiser:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/daniels-family-medical-fund-wcqbv

Every donation, prayer, share, and message of encouragement helps as the family navigates what will likely be a lengthy recovery process.

The Local Lowdown will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available.

Have information regarding public safety concerns, park maintenance issues, or local government matters? Contact The Local Lowdown through the email listed in our bio.

Donate to Daniels Family Medical Fund, organized by Hayden Brooke Daniels Our family is facing an incredibly difficult time. Most recently, our 11-year-old so… Hayden Brooke Daniels needs your support for Daniels Family Medical Fund

🚨 URGENT — WE NEED YOU THERE 🚨

On June 18, 2026 at 9:30 AM, I will be standing in Glynn County Magistrate Court to fight for something bigger than one man, one case, or one news outlet. I am asking you to stand there with me.

WE WILL BE FIGHTING FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT

Today I filed my motions — including a formal request that the media be allowed to broadcast this hearing — because what happens in that courtroom belongs to the public. You paid for that courthouse. You deserve to see inside it.

Here is what this case is really about:

A local business owner who spent months harassing, doxxing, and targeting The Local Lowdown and members of our team filed a Good Behavior Warrant against me — five days after I served him with a formal cease-and-desist. Five days. And two weeks after I filed a formal complaint with the Chief of Police. This is not a coincidence. This is retaliation and an attack on The Constitution of the United States.

He even got us removed from the Scanner Page (Publicly). Who is harassing who here…I have over 200 screenshots dating back to 2025.

Our court system has rules. Those rules require probable cause before a warrant application moves forward. By the applicant's own sworn admissions — in his own handwriting — no police report was filed, no physical incident occurred, no witnesses exist, and nothing was directed at his person or property.

The court allowed this case to proceed anyway.

Judge Morgan — the same judge who dismissed not one, but two Good Behavior cases I filed, despite police reports and documented threats, claiming those matters were “Civil Cases” — approved this filing and set it for a hearing.

I have never met this man in person. Not once.

What’s even more concerning is that the allegations being made against me appear to be civil in nature as well. Yet, unlike the cases I filed that were supported by police reports and evidence, this matter was allowed to move forward. At a minimum, the public deserves consistency. The law should be applied equally to everyone, regardless of who is filing the paperwork.

This is what it looks like when a court allows itself to be weaponized. This is what it looks like when the rules only apply to some people. This is what it looks like when those in power try to punish the people who refuse to look away.

We knew this was coming. The moment we started asking hard questions — about nepotism, about public money, about who gets appointed over who gets qualified — they told us to be quiet. We didn't. We won't. If we had experienced folks working these jobs this would never happen. Stop hiring your friends and family; unless they apply and interview for the position like everyone else.

We have assembled a full legal record. We have documented the pattern. We are ready to stand in that courtroom and prove it.

But we need you there.
📅 June 18, 2026
🕤 9:30 AM
📍 Glynn County Magistrate Court
— 701 H Street, Brunswick, GA 31521

Come stand with us. Come meet us in person. Come show this community — and this court — that accountability journalism is not going anywhere, and that the people of Glynn County will not allow their tax dollars and their courts to be used as weapons against the First Amendment.

We will be vigilant. We will be loud. We will stand strong.
The Local Lowdown is not going away. Not today. Not on June 18. Not ever. We will gladly go to jail for serving you!

— David Goldberg, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, The Local Lowdown

💬 Share this post. Bring someone with you. Let them know we see what they are doing — and we are not afraid.

NOTE: If you would like copies of the motions filed just email us at [email protected]

Send a message to learn more

Come stand with us as we defend the First Amendment and the freedoms guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

On June 18, you’ll have the opportunity to meet me in person as we stand together for free speech, a free press, and the rights of every citizen in this great community.

Your presence matters. Join us and let your voice be heard simply by showing up.

If you want to read our pre-hearing motions, please email us and we will gladly send you a copy. Just type “Motion” in the subject line.

A MESSAGE FROM THE LOCAL LOWDOWN

Every day, we receive messages asking why certain people haven’t been arrested, why certain cases haven’t moved forward, and why some investigations seem to go nowhere.

The answer is simple: our job is to uncover information and bring it to the public. We do not make arrests, file charges, prosecute cases, or set policy.

Many law enforcement officers work hard and genuinely care about this community. Yet there are times when their efforts never result in accountability for reasons that are beyond their control. {Let’s be real here; someone at the “top” pulls strings for people they know, etc.} We could list a hundred cases.

We could fill pages with cases that community members believe deserve more attention. We hear from families still seeking answers, victims still seeking justice, and residents still searching for accountability.

The Local Lowdown will continue doing what we have always done—asking questions, following leads, and bringing information to the public. What happens next is up to the people elected to serve this community and the citizens who hold them accountable.

If you want answers, call your elected officials. Attend meetings. Vote. Demand transparency.

We’ll continue bringing you the truth, but YOU THE PEOPLE have to demand accountability. Sadly, if you continue to vote for the same people you end up with the same results. Meanwhile, WE are dragged into court without justification, but we are not afraid we will FIGHT TO THE END.

With that, happy Sunday!

BREAKING —

TLLD INVESTIGATIVE ANNOUNCEMENT

What we are about to publish will shake Brunswick and Glynn County to its core.

BRUNSWICK, GA. — The Local Lowdown has received verified tips from current and former law enforcement officers — people who swore an oath and are now coming forward because they can no longer stay silent.

What they have described to us — and what we are actively corroborating through documents, records, and additional sources — includes allegations of the following within the highest levels of the Brunswick Police Department:

— Senior command staff, including individuals who previously served as detectives, allegedly protecting known drug dealers and shielding them from prosecution

— Alleged coordination between law enforcement leadership and members of city government to obstruct justice and suppress investigations

— Alleged embezzlement and financial misconduct, including the alleged funneling of public and private funds through local charities and churches — organizations whose financial boards allegedly include individuals cutting checks to themselves and connected parties

— Alleged systemic discrimination against local business owners who have applied for liquor licenses and were denied illegally.

— Alleged cover-up of serious violent crimes including homicides and major drug cases.

— Multiple verified sources allege that at least one high-ranking Brunswick PD officer has been the subject of three or more recent sexual harassment complaints filed by fellow officers. Sources further allege that this individual has been knowingly shielded from disciplinary action by the Chief of Police herself. TLLD is in possession of corroborating information and this matter is under active investigation.

— Verified sources allege that the ongoing and accelerating departure of senior decorated officers from the Brunswick Police Department is directly attributable to a dysfunctional leadership culture that command staff has refused to acknowledge or correct. The documented loss of experienced officers at this rate represents an alleged institutional failure with direct and serious consequences for public safety throughout Brunswick and Glynn County.

— Sources further allege that a protected leadership faction within the department has consistently prioritized personal loyalty networks over officer welfare, departmental integrity, and the safety of the citizens they are sworn to protect — and that repeated internal complaints have been suppressed rather than addressed.

These are allegations. They are serious. They are sourced. And they are being investigated.

New tips are being received daily. This investigation is active and expanding.

TLLD wishes to be clear — we make no final conclusions at this time. We are presenting what credible sworn sources have brought to us and what our investigation is actively pursuing through public records, financial documents, and corroborating testimony.

To every official named in our forthcoming reporting — you will be contacted for comment before publication. That is our commitment to fairness and journalistic integrity.

To our sources — you are protected. Your courage is not forgotten.

To the people of Brunswick and Glynn County — you deserve the truth. We will not stop until you have it.

Tip line is open. Confidential submissions welcome.

📧 [email protected]

Stay tuned. This is only the beginning.

— David Goldberg, Publisher
The Local Lowdown