. . . .BULLETIN. . . .BULLETIN. . . .BULLETIN. . . .BULLETIN. . . . STATE OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND FINANCE 2990 Brandywine Road, Suite 200 Atlanta, Georgia 30341-5565 DAVID G. SORRELL, COMMISSIONER Phone: (770) 986-1633 Fax: (770) 986-1655 Internet Address: http://www.gadbf.org/ March 31, 2004 The following is a summary of official action taken on applications by State Financial Institutions under Chapter 7-1 of the Code of Georgia and petitions for Certificate of Incorporation of Financial Institutions and other matters of interest during the month of March 2004. IN THIS ISSUE: Lincoln Bank & Trust Corporation - Entity Unauthorized to Do Business in the State of Georgia Important Notice to All Financial Institutions - FinCrime Network In Remembrance - Supervisory Examiner Greg Lowe (1954-2004) Press Release April 12, 2004: Credit Union to Close 2003 Annual Report Now Available on the Department's Website 1 APPLICATIONS FOR NEW FINANCIAL INSTITUTION FINANCIAL INSTITUTION NorthWest Bank & Trust 3891 Cobb Parkway Acworth, GA 30101 Cobb County CAPITALIZATION APPROVAL DATE $ 13,511,370 09-25-2003 BEGIN BUSINESS DATE 03-11 -2004 Hamilton State Bank 6323 Grand Hickory Drive, Suite 100-G Braselton, GA 30517 Gwinnett County $ 10,000,000 Pending American United Bank 1800 Old Norcross Road Lawrenceville, GA 30044 Gwinnett County $ 10,000,000 Pending Local Bank of Middle Georgia 306-308 North Davis Drive Warner Robins, GA 31093 Houston County $ 7,000,000 Pending APPLICATIONS TO ESTABLISH A BRANCH OFFICE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Colony Bank Ashburn Ashburn BRANCH OFFICE Chehaw Branch Office 716 Philema Road Albany, GA 31701 Dougherty County APPROVAL DATE 03-25-2003 BEGIN BUSINESS DATE 03 -15-2004 Colony Bank Ashburn Ashburn Thomaston Branch Office 206 North Church Street Thomaston, GA 30286 Upson County 01-15-2004 03 -22-2004 SunTrust Bank Atlanta Old Milton Parkway Branch Office 4105 Old Milton Parkway Alpharetta, GA 30005 Fulton County 10-29-2003 03 -15-2004 SunTrust Bank Atlanta Gordy Parkway Branch Office 2880 Shallowford Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30066 Cobb County 03-23-2004 SunTrust Bank Atlanta Sage Hill Office 1799 Briarcliff Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30306 DeKalb County 09-18-2003 03 -08-2004 2 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta SunTrust Bank Atlanta Hamilton State Bank (IO) Braselton Bartow County Bank Cartersville Habersham Bank Clarkesville Main Street Bank Covington Douglas County Bank Douglasville 3 BRANCH OFFICE Cascade Branch Office 1165 Fairburn Road Atlanta, GA 30331 Fulton County The Reserve Branch Office 9936 Clintmoore Road Boca Raton, FL 33496 Palm Beach County Camp Creek Parkway Branch Office 3510 Camp Creek Parkway East Point, GA 30344 Fulton County Oakleaf Branch Office 9530 Argyle Forest Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32244 Duval County Boyette Branch Office Boyette Road & McMullen Loop Road Tampa, FL 33614 Hillsborough County Hall County Branch Office 441-A E. E. Butler Parkway Gainesville, GA 30501 Hall County North Cobb Parkway Branch Office 4330 North Cobb Parkway Acworth, GA 30101-4218 Cobb County Hickory Flat Highway Branch Office 6782 Hickory Flat Highway Canton, GA 30115 Cherokee County Suwanee Branch Office 350 Town Center Avenue Suwanee, GA 30024 Gwinnett County Dallas Branch Office 519 Hardee Street Dallas, GA 30132 Paulding County APPROVAL DATE 03-23-2004 BEGIN BUSINESS DATE 03-08-2004 01-27-2004 03 -22-2004 03-18-2004 08-11-2003 03 -08-2004 Pending 03-09-2004 11-18-2003 03 -31-2004 03-25-2004 03-24-2004 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION Gwinnett Community Bank Duluth FirstCity Bank Gibson Crescent Bank and Trust Company Jasper Bank of Lumber City Lumber City New Southern Bank Macon Bank of Madison Madison First Bank of Henry County McDonough Georgian Bank Powder Springs Farmers & Merchants Bank Statesboro Sea Island Bank Statesboro 4 BRANCH OFFICE Suwanee Branch Office 3463A #117 Lawrenceville -Suwanee Road Suwanee, GA 30024 Gwinnett County APPROVAL DATE 11-26-2003 BEGIN BUSINESS DATE 03 -01-2004 Fairways Court Branch Office 831 Fairways Court Stockbridge, GA 30281 Henry County 03-22-2004 Midway Branch Office 5395 Highway 9 Alpharetta, GA 30004 Forsyth County 03-04-2004 McRae Branch Office 801 East Oak Street McRae, GA 31055 Telfair County 11-03-2003 03 -01-2004 Mulberry Street Branch Office 502 Mulberry Street Macon, GA 31201 Bibb County 12-22-2003 03 -29-2004 Social Circle Branch Office 1281 North Cherokee Road Social Circle, GA 30025 Walton County 09-18-2003 03 -01-2004 Stockbridge Branch Office 4421 North Henry Boulevard Stockbridge, GA 30281 Henry County 03-30-2004 City View Cumberland Boulevard Branch Office 3330 Cumberland Boulevard, Suite 625 Atlanta, GA 30339 Cobb County 02-13-2004 03 -31-2004 Brannen Street Branch Office Corner of Brannen Street Connector and Buckhead Drive Statesboro, GA 30458 Bulloch County 03-22-2004 Savannah Branch Office 7402 Hodgson Memorial Drive Savannah, GA 31406 Chatham County 03-01-2004 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION First Bank of Georgia Thomson BRANCH OFFICE Wheeler Road Branch Office 3527 Wheeler Road Augusta, GA 30909 Richmond County APPROVAL DATE 03-30-2004 BEGIN BUSINESS DATE CB&T Bank of Middle Georgia Warner Robins Highridge Centre Branch Office 3920 Arkwright Road, Suite 105, Highridge Centre Macon, GA 31210 Bibb County Withdrawn 03-23-2004 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION SunTrust Bank Atlanta APPLICATIONS TO CHANGE LOCATION CHANGE LOCATION OF Sandy Plains Exchange Publix Office From: 1860 Sandy Plains Road Marietta GA 30066 Cobb County To: Sandy Plains Branch Office 1840 Sandy Plains Road Marietta GA 30066 Cobb County APPROVAL DATE 03 -08-2004 EFFECTIVE DATE SunTrust Bank Atlanta Decatur Branch Office From: 545 North McDonough Street Decatur GA DeKalb County To: 198 West Ponce de Leon Avenue Decatur GA 30030 DeKalb County 01 -16-2004 03-01-2004 PROPOSED NAME Century Security Bank APPLICATIONS FOR RESERVATION OF A NAME COUNTY Gwinnett County APPLICANT Mr. John B. Kline, Principal Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC Post Office Box 724888 Atlanta, GA 30067 Community Bank of Rockmart Polk County Mr. Larry Collier Rockmart Banking Group 550 West Elm Street Rockmart, GA 30153 Georgia Trust Bank Gwinnett County Mr. Brent H. Baker, President Brent Baker, Inc. Post O Box 2669 Cumming, GA 30028 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION MERGERS 5 FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (SURVIVOR) The Prudential Savings Bank, FSB Atlanta MERGED INSTITUTION The Prudential Bank & Trust Company Atlanta APPROVAL DATE 03 -26-2004 EFFECTIVE DATE United Community Bank Blairsville 1st Community Bank Fairburn Pending Gainesville Bank & Trust Gainesville Lumpkin County Bank Dahlonega Pending Gainesville Bank & Trust Gainesville Southern Heritage Bank Oakwood Pending APPLICATIONS TO BECOME A BANK HOLDING COMPANY AND/OR TO ACQUIRE VOTING STOCK OF A FINANCIAL INSTITUTION BANK HOLDING COMPANY TO ACQUIRE APPROVAL DATE FORMATIONS Piedmont Bancshares, Inc. Atlanta, GA Piedmont Bank of Georgia Atlanta, GA Pending New Horizons Bancshares, Inc. East Ellijay, GA New Horizons Bank (IO) East Ellijay, GA 03-12-2004 ACQUISITIONS United Community Banks, Inc. Blairsville, GA First Community Bank Fairburn, GA Pending Synovus Financial Corp. Columbus, GA Trust One Bank Memphis, TN 03-15-2004 Synovus Financial Corp. Columbus, GA Synovus Bank of Jacksonville (IO) Jacksonville, FL Pending GB&T Bancshares, Inc. Gainesville, GA Southern Heritage Bank Flowery Branch, GA Pending GB&T Bancshares, Inc. Gainesville, GA Lumpkin County Bank Dahlonega, GA Pending CITY Norcross Duluth Augusta Grayson Macon Grovetown Cartersville Columbus CHECK CASHER LICENSES ISSUED APPLICANT NAME AHIL Enterprises, Inc. Cash Max Check Cashing, Inc. * Central Gas LLC Davlat & Sakina Enterprises, LLC Devum, Inc. Hooker, Maria Jalaram Kurpa Incorporated * MRKD, Inc. TRADE NAME A & S Check Cashing Cash Max JR's Mart Red Rabbit 3 Amoco Food Shop #2 Quick Mart MRKD 6 CITY Atlanta Hartwell Port Wentworth Tucker Decatur APPLICANT NAME Northridge Enterprise, Inc. Phillips, Robert L. Randall's Beverage Center, Inc. Sushant Enterprises, Inc. The Suda Group, Inc. * Exempt Registration (O.C.G.A. 7 -1-709) TRADE NAME Money Market Your Money Center Burbank Trading Marathon Food Mart Store #01 Hal's Package Store MONEY TRANSMITTER Viamericas Corporation Bethesda, MD MONEY TRANSMITTER LICENSES ISSUED APPROVAL DATE 03 -30 -2004 Kaah Group, LLC Clarkston, GA 03 -10 -2004 Hydara, Mohamadou College Park, GA 03 -04 -2004 Afrique Investments, LLC Marietta, GA 03 -01 -2004 South Exchange, Inc. Miami, FL 03 -02 -2004 Envios de Valores La Nacional Corp. New York, NY 03 -01 -2004 Sonali Exchange Co., Inc. New York, NY 03 -30 -2004 Envios El Cid, Inc. San Antonio, TX 03 -01 -2004 NOTICES: LINCOLN BANK & TRUST CORPORATION - ENTITY UNAUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA Be advised that LINCOLN BANK & TRUST CORPORATION (Lincoln Bank) which allegedly has an address of Galleria Center, 100 Galleria Parkway, Suite 400, Atlanta, GA 30339 is not a bank or trust company authorized to do business in the State of Georgia. Effective March 23, 2004, a Cease and Desist Order was issued against this entity directing them to do the following: l Lincoln Bank shall immediately cease indicating in any internet website, marketing materials, signage, correspondence, or legal documentation that could reach Georgia consumers that it is a bank and trust company, and that it is authorized to do business in Georgia. l Lincoln Bank shall cease using the name "Credit Union", "Bank", "Banking Company", "Banker", "Banking House", "Trust" or any similar terminology in the above materials, in reference to activities conducted in the State of Georgia. 7 l Lincoln Bank shall not conduct a banking business unless it demonstrates that it is authorized to conduct a banking business in accordance with the provisions of federal or state law. O.C.G.A. Section 7-1-241 specifies that only a state chartered bank, a national bank, a federally chartered thrift, credit union or other agency otherwise authorized by Georgia Law may do a banking business in this state. l Lincoln Bank shall not provide financial products or services to the citizens of this State by any delivery system, to include the Internet, or other electronic access to financial products or services or alternative methods of delivery which differ from geographically based banking without the authorization of the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, pursuant to O.C.G.A. Section 7-1-241(c). l If Lincoln Bank is a bank and trust company chartered or licensed in a foreign country, this foreign corporation shall not transact a banking business or maintain an office in this State for carrying on such business or any part thereof without the authorization of this activity by the Department in accordance with Section 7-1-713 of the Code of Georgia. If any Georgia citizen believes that this entity has violated any provisions of the Cease and Desist Order after the effective date of the Order (March 23, 2004) you are encouraged to contact the Department in writing at: 2990 Brandywine Road, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30341-5565. Please direct these inquiries and any other questions concerning these issues to Deputy Commissioner for Supervision Grace M. Lurry. To read more about this Cease and Desist Order, go to the Special Bulletins section on the Department's website at: http://www.ganet.org/dbf/bulletins.html IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS - FINCRIME NETWORK The FinCrime Network is a network of financial institutions sharing information on fraudulent activity. FinCrime functions as a clearinghouse of information where each participant submits fraud data into a central repository. FinCrime allows users to search the database of fraud incidents to find incidents that have data in common with their own cases. FinCrime can be used by any law enforcement agency, or financial institution or approved retailer. All users must be authenticated and approved by the network administrator or one of the sponsoring associations. By providing a confidential and secure way to share information about fraudulent transactions, participating financial institutions are made aware of fraudulent activity in their area, usually sooner than they would be able to identify it by themselves. This early awareness allows them to take action to prevent fraud losses. Also, the shared database provides opportunities to build fewer but larger "multi -bank" cases out of smaller individual losses, helping financial institutions and law enforcement focus on organized crime and repeat offenders. This more efficient use of law enforcement resources results in overall loss reduction for financial institutions, as professional criminals find financial institution fraud more difficult, more risky, and less profitable to pursue. For more information, including how you can register, visit FINCRIME.COM Although the Department encourages management of risk, this notice is for informational purposes only and is not intended to endorse or promote the organization above. Financial institutions should conduct their own investigation to determine the suitability of this program as beneficial tool for the intended purpose. In Remembrance - Supervisory Examiner Greg Lowe (1954-2004) The Department is saddened to report the untimely passing of Supervisory Examiner Greg Lowe on March 24, 2004. Greg served the Department well for almost 19 years, achieving the level of Supervisory Examiner in 2000. Prior to joining the Department, Greg served four years of active duty in the U.S. Navy, with an additional 19 years as a Navy Reservist. He will be missed by the Department and financial institutions that he so diligently served. Press Release April 12, 2004: Credit Union to Close On April 12, 2004, at the request of the Board of Directors of the credit union, the Department of Banking and Finance was appointed receiver of Cleaners Credit Union, Atlanta, GA. At the request of the Department, the Fulton County Superior Court subsequently named the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) as receiver. All insured deposits are expected to be paid to members promptly. Loans will continue to be administered according to their terms. Questions about this receivership should be directed to NCUA, Asset Management and Assistance Center at (512) 231-7900. 8 2003 Annual Report Now Available on the Department's Website The Department's 2003 Annual Report is now available on our website at: http://www.ganet.org/dbf/publications.html#AR BACK TO TOP 9