Sopranos? Family-owned Georgia paving company attacks rivals with bats and guns

MONROE COUNTY, GA- Authorities said that six men who work for the same family paving company allegedly attacked their rivals in a turf war, "Soprano" style.

According to Fox News, police records state that the men are accused of instigating a brawl with a competitor paving company on December 19th. The suspects have been identified as: Mark Buckland Sr., Mark Buckland Jr., Willy Buckland Sr., Willy Buckland Jr., Luke Buckland, and James Small. All six have been charged in connection with the alleged assault against several family members working for a competing paving company called EH Paving.

In a statement, Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman told reporters that the incident was "like something out of the 'Sopranos' TV series." An incident report states that the victims, working for EH paving, were paving a customer's driveway in Bolingbroke around 1:00 p.m. on December 19th when several trucks pulled up to the location.

Six members of the Buckhead family, who work for a rival paving company in Bolingbroke exited the trucks with baseball bats, sticks, and other weapons. Deputies arrived on scene after a 911 caller reported a "large fight" involving "bats and guns." The owner of EH Paving said that Mark William Buckland Sr., who is 50-years-old, had tried to hit his son over the head with a bat.

He further alleged that Willy Buckland Jr., who is 22-years-old, and Buckland Sr.'s 21-year-old son-in-law, Small, had attacked the owner's other son. He also stated that 28-year-old Luke Buckland had attacked his nephew. The EH Paving owner believes that the Buckland family attacked his family because they were doing a paving job near one of their properties, which the Bucklands thought was "disrespectful."

The owner of EH Paving alleged that Mark Buckland Sr. was carrying a "cowboy-style" gun and pointed it in his face. The property owner of the driveway EH Paving was completing work at contacted police and said that one of the workers for EH Paving had shot a gun into a wooded area in an attempt to break up the fight.

Mark Buckland Jr., however, told an officer that he had been punched in the mouth and chalked the alleged attack up to "just a misunderstanding" when asked why his family was at the property in the first place.

According to the New York Post, the three victims had knots, bruises, and other injuries after the fight. One of them was so badly hurt that he has he was light-headed, threw up, and was brought to the hospital for observation. The EH Paving owner said this was not the first time the Bucklands have sought this type of justice. The Bucklands have allegedly tailed him and his workers before, along with starting other fights at their job sites.

Freeman said, "These are adult men, too. Adult men with pretty good reputations." Mark William Buckhead Sr. has been charged with tampering with evidence, pointing a gun or pistol at another person and criminal trespass. Luke James Buckland has been charged with simply battery. Mark Judy Buckland has been charged with simple battery, inciting to rioting and criminal trespass.

Small has been charged with criminal trespass and simple battery. Willy Jack Buckland Sr. has been charged with criminal trespass and aggravated assault. By Monday morning, December 30th, all six men were released.