The man accused of causing last month's deadly boat accident on Lake Lanier has been charged with homicide in the deaths of the two brothers killed, the Hall County District Attorney said Friday.
Paul Bennett, 44, of Cumming, was charged with homicide by vessel in the first degree, according to a 13-count indictment unsealed Thursday evening. He could face three to 15 years in prison if convicted of that felony.
Bennett was booked into Hall County Jail on Friday afternoon and is being held without bond. His first court appearance is scheduled Monday morning.
The arrest comes seven weeks after the collision that killed Jake and Griffin Prince. On July 18, Bennett's boat crashed into a pontoon boat carrying 13 people on a late night cruise that the boys' father was driving.
After the force of the crash threw the boys into the lake, the eldest brother pulled 9-year-old Jake from the water but could not find 13-year-old Griffin. After an arduous nine-day search, divers from local agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation found his body 113 feet under water.
Police arrested Bennett at a nearby marina several hours after the crash and charged him with boating under the influence, a misdemeanor punishable with up to a $1,000 fine and possibly 12 months in jail. At the time, officials said further charges would depend on a Department of Natural Resources investigation. A DNR spokesman said that investigation is still going on.
Witnesses said Bennett, who owns a hair studio in Johns Creek, remained at the scene before leaving in his 21-foot fishing boat.
Bennett's attorney could not be reached on Friday. The Prince family declined to comment on the new charges.
The tragedy drew an outpouring of support from the community and underscored the dangers on Lake Lanier.
Just weeks after the accident, Kile Glover, the 11-year-old son of entertainer Usher's former wife, was fatally injured there after he was struck by a personal watercraft while tubing. The watercraft driver, Jeffrey Hubbard, has not been charged and the DNR is still investigating that accident.
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