Man who purchased home here faces charge in federal probe
(Photo • North Georgia News) Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. upset several Black Lives Matter protesters when he showed up to an organized demonstration with his rifle to hold a counterprotest of sorts on June 5, 2020, in Hiawassee.
A Clay County homeowner faces a federal charge in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. that left five people dead, including a police officer. The Federal Court in the District of Columbia charged Cleveland Meredith Jr., with making interstate threats to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Meredith told federal agents that he had been traveling from Colorado and due to car trouble had arrived too late for Wednesday’s rally in Washington. He had allegedly texted a family member in which he threatened to kill Pelosi.
Meredith had been staying at a Holiday Inn in Washington and had weapons in his “camper style” trailer, including a Glock handgun, a pistol, a Tavor X95 assault rifle and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, according to the court documents. Meredith had previously lived in Hiawassee and appeared in a North Georgia News article in June of last year after carrying a rifle to a Black Lives Matter Rally there.
The reporter covering the story, Shawn Jerrad, said Meredith was not arrested as he was carrying the weapon legally, and stayed mostly close to his vehicle. Hiawassee Police Chief Paul Smith told the newspaper Meredith was known to them because when he moved there from Atlanta, Meredith’s family alerted the department because they were concerned about his behavior and ties to QAnon.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Meredith had erected a billboard in 2018 in Acworth, Ga., that read, “#QANON” along with the name of his business, Car Nutz Car Wash. It is unclear whether Meredith actually lived in Hayesville, but the August 2020 deed transactions show he purchased 3 acres of property in Clay County for $129,000. The property includes a small white house, located at the junction of Highway 64 and Warne Road, a few miles from town. Both the property owner and the realtor listing the property said they were not in personal contact with Meredith and the transaction was handled through an attorney.
Clay County Sheriff Bobby Deese said their only record of Meredith involved a speeding ticket given in June 2020 which showed Meredith having an Atlanta address. Meredith said he had been to the nation’s capital for a previous rally in November and that he had attended a protest outside of Gov. Brian Kemp’s residence in Georgia as well, according to FBI documents.