Georgia Criminal Defense Blog

Dodge County sheriff’s deputies broke an alleged identity theft ring that has been operating in four counties. The 37-year-old man arrested is accused of receiving stolen property by using a license plate to conceal or misrepresent a vehicle’s identity. He is being charged with 56 counts of identity theft and two counts of receiving stolen property. Another possible conspirator was also charged in the case.

During the bust, Dodge County deputies discovered that the accused had several stolen vehicles as well as access to the owner’s Social Security and account numbers and keys obtained through his job as an auto parts delivery driver. The theft came to light when a Georgia state trooper saw that the vehicle identification and tag numbers did not match the 2008 Ford F-150 the man charged was driving when he had gotten into an accident.

Continue reading "Dodge County Sheriffs Uncover Identity Theft Ring" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , Theft Crimes , White Collar Crimes

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A recent wsbtv.com news article reported that during an audit, it was discovered that $275,000 was stolen from the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Atlanta Branch. According to the article, the Atlanta NAACP Branch President stated that the organization’s former executive director and her assistant are suspected of stealing the money from the association over a period of six years. Apparently, they used the money for a wide range of personal benefits including paying for dental work and buying furniture.

Law enforcement also suspects that the duo applied for credit cards with American Express using the organization’s name and marked themselves as authorized uses. They are also suspected of receiving credit cards in their own names and using checks belonging to the NAACP to pay their own personal bills. The report confirmed that the two suspects are no longer employed by the association.

Theft-related offenses in Georgia are very serious matters due to the various strict penalties laid out by Federal and Georgia State law. The legal consequences of such crimes are even more severe when an employee is accused of stealing from the company or association that he or she works or worked for. These offenses are referred to as white-collar crimes, and, if convicted, a person may face lengthy prison time, steep fines, loss of employment, loss of future employment opportunities, and much more. With these repercussions in mind and your professional reputation on the line, if you’ve been accused of a white-collar crime, it may be in your best interest to seek legal representation from a skilled Atlanta white-collar crime defense attorney.

Continue reading "$275,000 Stolen from NAACP: Ex-Employees Accused" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , Non-Violent Crime , Theft Crimes , White Collar Crimes

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After being pulled over for suspicion of DUI, a man decided his best option for escape wasn’t the allegedly stolen U-Haul vehicle he was driving, but the police car that had pulled him over for the possible infraction. According to an article, the main reason police did in fact pull the man over was because he left the scene after apparently striking another automobile, although the man claimed that he didn’t know he had hit another vehicle. Consequently, law enforcement determined that they could smell alcohol on the man’s breath upon closer examination. The man was then handcuffed, and finally placed in the backseat of a police cruiser.

So how did the suspect end up in the driver’s seat? In the report, one officer speculates that the man “was able to slip the handcuffs under his buttocks, get the window open and crawl through it…it can be done.” Police believe the man managed to pull off this impressive feat all while the on-scene officers checked on the passenger in the U-Haul. The man managed to successfully escape, and remains at large.

While police continue their hunt throughout Atlanta to locate the man, this incident serves as a good example of what not to do when pulled over for a traffic violation of any kind, especially one relating to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Just because you are arrested for DUI does not mean that you are guilty.

Continue reading "From a DUI Stop to a Stolen Police Car" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , DUI Defense , Theft Crimes

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Fingerprints are considered to be insurmountable evidence. However, in the case of a convicted Georgia man, a routine check of the supposed offender’s identification revealed the huge mismatch: his fingerprints were inaccurately identified as those of a criminal, and he had, consequently, been wrongly incarcerated for 17 months for a robbery that he didn’t commit. The question then is simple: Is $145,000 enough to compensate for a wrongful conviction? Many would believe it is, especially for a period of a mere 17 months. Perhaps it has brought the formerly-guilty-incarcerated-but-now-innocent-and-free man a little sense of justice.

The Georgia resident served 17 long months in Rikers Island, a sentence that still haunts him like a bad dream. According to an article, the man reportedly described it with a relatively jarring perspective. "It's just a nightmare knowing that someone that's innocent can be picked up off the street and held.”

These recent events undoubtedly raise many questions as to how such a false conviction could take place. According to the report, the falsely accused and incarcerated man was in Atlanta, a full 880 miles away from Howard Beach, where the robbery took place. He was arrested for the crime nearly a year after it was committed, when a partial index-fingerprint was supposedly deemed a match to the man’s own fingerprint that had previously been collected in Brooklyn during a traffic violation and arrest for driving with a suspended license.

Continue reading "Georgia Man Was Falsely Imprisoned for 17 Months Due to Mistaken Fingerprints" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , Law & Information , Theft Crimes , Wrongfully Accused

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In a report issued by the Georgia Department of Public Safety on August 7, 2009, it was announced that after a week-long concentrated patrol, Georgia State Troopers arrested 267 people for DUI in Georgia. Four other Southeastern states, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Mississippi, participated in the “Take Back Our Highways Program.” During the seven-day-period from Saturday, July 25 to Friday, July 31, 2009, Georgia State Troopers also apprehended 44 wanted persons, recovered 7 stolen vehicles, arrested 127 people for driving on a suspended or revoked license, and gave out 2,162 speeding citations, 828 seat belt citations, 148 child restraint citations, and 64 citations to uninsured motorists.

It is an understatement to say that law enforcement was busy during the program’s seven-day period, and it raises the question as to the possibility of overzealous ticketing.

The “Take Back Our Highways” program was created by the Alabama Department of Public Safety to raise driver awareness both through enforcement of traffic laws and with driver education outreach explaining that risky driving behaviors create many dangers. One Colonel said, “The bottom line is preventing traffic crashes and saving lives.”

Considering the unusually large amount of tickets that were issued and arrests that were made over the last few weeks due to the “Take Back Our Highways” program, many Georgians are likely to find themselves in a challenging spot and many are probably unaware of their rights.

Continue reading "267 Georgia DUI Arrests Made in "Take Back Our Highways" Program" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , DUI Defense , Theft Crimes

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A home invasion robbery in Mableton, GA ended with gunshots, according to a published report on 11alive News online. Police allege that the robber entered the home with his weapon at about 1pm and tied the two occupants up. One of them was able to get free of his restraints, retrieve his own pistol, and fire at the suspect, possibly injuring him before he escaped.
Police searched the area near the home which was on Nickajack Road near Fontaine Road in Mableton, but did not immediately find the suspect. They believe he may have been shot, but declared him still on the loose.

According to Georgia Code 16-8-2 "A person commits the offense of theft when he unlawfully takes or, being in lawful possession thereof, unlawfully appropriates any property of another with the intention of depriving him of the property, regardless of the manner in which the property is taken or appropriated."

Crimes involving the theft of another person's belongings are taken very seriously in Georgia and the legal repercussions are very harsh. Depending upon the accusations you are facing, and the monetary worth of the alleged stolen goods, you may be charged with a felony or misdemeanor and have to serve a jail or prison term and pay expensive monetary fines. In instances like this one, where theft was attempted at gunpoint by an individual who invaded another’s home, the Georgia theft charges are sure to be multiple felony charges.

Continue reading "Police Seeking Home Invasion Suspect after Gunfight" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , Theft Crimes , Violent Crimes , Weapons Charges

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The website onlineathens.com reported in an article on June 27, 2009 that two DUI checkpoints in Georgia patrolled by the University of Georgia police, Athens-Clarke police, and Georgia State Patrol on the second night of AthFest resulted in the arrests of 48 people for DUI in Georgia. An additional 100 citations were given for lesser offenses.

Police also believe that they apprehended a burglary suspect when a keen officer unaffected by the late hour of 3:15 a.m. and, suspiciously late at night, noticed that a man age 39 had large amounts of beer and several cartons of cigarettes along with big packs of lighters. The officer called in to headquarters to see if there had been any calls for a robbery. Sure enough there had been a robbery at the QuickSpot located at 840 Hull Road and the stolen items were similar to the ones the officer noticed. Review of the store’s security tape revealed a man that appears to be the suspect throwing a rock through the front door and stealing all the items found in the suspect’s car.

Police had another big score when a 37 year old Lawrenceville man was arrested for possession of 25 pounds of marijuana. An officer going by the vehicle happened to get a hint of the aroma of marijuana. A drug sniffing dog working the checkpoints was summoned and verified the officer’s suspicions finding 21 gallon sized bags of marijuana and a large sum of cash. The suspect was detained and charged with driving without a license and trafficking marijuana.

Continue reading "Georgia DUI Sweeps Net 4 Dozen in One Night" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , DUI Defense , Drug Crime , Drug Defense , Non-Violent Crime , Theft Crimes

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Police are seeking a man who attempted to rob a bank in Sandy Springs, according to a published report in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The man walked into the Bank of America, which was on Roswell Road, at 11:30am and presented a large envelope with a note to a bank teller. The suspect left before he got any money or before the police arrived.

Authorities treated the envelope as a suspicious package, calling in hazardous materials teams to determine if there was a threat or not. The suspect was described as a white male, approximately 6 feet tall, weighing 180-200 lbs with blond hair and a thin beard. Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the man.

There are a variety of Federal and Georgia State laws which have been enacted to severely punish people convicted of theft related crimes. Crimes involving the theft of another person's belongings are taken very seriously in Georgia and the legal repercussions are very harsh. Depending upon the accusations you are facing for a theft crime in Georgia, and the monetary worth of the alleged stolen goods, you may be charged with a felony or misdemeanor and have to serve a jail or prison term and pay expensive monetary fines.

Continue reading "Man Sought After Attempted Bank Robbery in Sandy Springs" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , Theft Crimes

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The nydailynews.com website reported in an account on February 10th that today’s modern crooks are the leaders of our financial institutions who have sent the economy into a downward tailspin, thrashing the American way of life with their New York white collar crimes. These glutinous people include types such as incompetent CEO’s and malicious scammers.

Now these government bailed out business are upset that they can only pay their top executives $500,000. They claim that they will not be able to attract top talent. It may behoove them to retract this statement. After all, it took them just a matter of years to bring down corporations and lose many hundreds of billions of dollars, if not more.

According to reports, some of the money was used on executive jets, sumptuous bonuses, and fancy offices.

On a somewhat lesser scale, Edgar Veloz stole his friend’s identity and wrote himself $3,000 worth of checks. It would have taken him 1,000 years to bankrupt Citigroup at this rate. Compare that to leader of Citigroup, Charles Prince, who managed to bring down the company in less than a year while earning a salary in the millions.

A white collar crime is a term used a lot these days, you hear it in the news and media, yet few know what it really means. White collar crime in New York is an act of theft or other criminal conduct which violates a corporate or government officer's fiduciary duties. Thus, if a person is acting in a position of financial trust or management for a client, a business, or a government agency, and they do something illegal, stealing the company's funds, for example, then that person has committed a white collar crime. If you are being accused of a white collar crime, it is in your best interest to contact a skilled Georgia or New York white collar crime attorney. Please call Conaway & Strickler, PC at 1-800-536-1740 for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , Non-Violent Crime , Theft Crimes , White Collar Crimes

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The nydailynews.com website reported in a story on March 13, 2009 that Paul Casson, 28, an EMT was arrested and charged with forging a nurse’s signature and abandoning a five year old at the hospital. A spokeswoman for the Department of Investigation said that Casson did not want to wait and fill out the necessary paperwork so he forged the necessary documentation required before he left the hospital. ETM’s are required to fill out Patient Care Reports and have them signed by a corresponding nurse.

Casson is accused of endangering the welfare of a child in New York when he left a five year old at Lincoln Hospital. Casson was called to a vehicle accident scene on Deceember 31, and was transporting the child who did not sustain life threatening injuries to the hospital.

In a rush to make it to his New Year’s engagement, he lost all regards of professionalism and compassion. He now sits in jail awaiting trial. If convicted, Casson faces seven years in prison.

Forgery in New York is defined as "knowingly and with the intent to defraud, making, altering, or possessing any writing that purports to be made by another person, at another time, with different provisions, or by authority of one who did not give such authority and utters and delivers such writing".

Continue reading "Bronx Forgery and Abandonment of Five Year Old" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , Domestic Violence , Theft Crimes , White Collar Crimes

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The wrdw.com website reported in an article on March 13, 2009 that Richmond County investigators were searching for one suspect who committed armed robbery in Georgia. Police say that they were able to apprehend one of the suspects, Maurice Overstreet who is now in jail.

According to police investigators, the crime scene was Jack’s Grocery at 4630 Padgett Highway just after 9:30 p.m. Investigators say Maurice Overstreet and Johnny Mack went into Jack’s Grocery asking for cartons of cigarettes, money, and they also carried a duffel bag which they filled with beer. Two customers and two employees were in the store at the time of the robbery.

A most foolish mistake was committed by Overstreet as he was chased into the woods by one of the customers and dropped his bag that contained a luggage tag with information on it. Investigators later recovered the bag with the stolen cartons of cigarettes and beer. With the information on the bag the police were able to track him down.

Police are still searching for Mack and are charging Overstreet with armed robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Georgia.

Continue reading "Augusta Armed Robbery Nets One, One Wanted" »

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Posted In: Criminal Defense , Theft Crimes , Weapons Charges

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On November 8, 2008 the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that an unnerving upward violent street crime trend in DeKalb is continuing this year. Two murders have occurred on Peachtree Industrial Blvd. in the last four months. Donaciano Cayon 40, and Alejandro Perez-Morales 37, were both approached by at least one assailant soon after midnight. According to DeKalb County police they have arrested the four man thief crew in connection with these murders. Police also suspect that the crew is responsible for many other armed robberies in the area. All four assailants are being held on robbery charges and murder charges without bond.

Just last year DeKalb experienced a sharp increase of 17 percent in pedestrian crime. Shockingly this year it is up another 15 percent with 1,505 pedestrian robberies in DeKalb up to September. Police warn that the assailants may be targeting Hispanics since the victims were of Hispanic heritage. Police believe that Hispanics living in apartment buildings may be especially at risk because they have to walk and some believe that Hispanics carry cash and are wary of contacting the authorities.

Police have stepped up their efforts in the area in hopes of curtailing the out of control crime. Undercover officers are being used along with patrols, and roadblocks.

Theft transgressions associated with violent crimes are serious charges that carry serious jail time. The nationally recognized firm of Conaway & Strickler, P.C., will do what it takes to win your case. They have been defending clients accused of serious violent crime charges in Atlanta for over a decade. They know the prosecutors and judges because they practice in those courts on a regular basis. Please call 404-816-5000 for a free consultation.

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Posted In: Theft Crimes

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A Winterville, Georgia resident named Vikas Yadav was recently arrested for a month-long scam involving identity theft and credit card fraud. Police in the Athens-Clarke area contend that Yadav, who worked at a liquor store on Lexington Road, had been stealing financial information from customers using a keystroke logger. He then used the credit card information to purchase new computers, video games, gift cards, and other items.

When authorities investigated Yadav's home, they discovered an additional 37 plasma screen televisions in the garage as well as piles of other illegally acquired merchandise. A judge issued a search warrant to allow authorities to investigate a safety deposit box that Yadav had kept at a nearby bank. There, they discovered more than $100,000 in bills and jewels as well as a property title. At least three other people are under investigation for participating in Yadav's identity theft and credit card fraud ring.

If you've been charged with a serious crime, such as credit card fraud or identity theft, you need a top-tier defense attorney on your side to ensure that your constitutional rights are protected. The Georgia criminal defense attorneys at Conaway & Strickler provide free consultations on all criminal defense cases, offer personalized attention and resources, and provide references and testimonials to all potential clients upon request. Explore your options now to reduce your sentence, get charges dropped, or counter-sue.

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Posted In: Theft Crimes

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Atlanta Police have arrested Khari Troutman in connection with a violent home invasion robbery that shocked a Decatur neighborhood. According to a Fox News report, Troutman faces several charges including armed robbery and kidnapping. Police officials say Troutman and at least two other men attacked Suzanne Ledet and her children as she pulled into her driveway.

The assailants reportedly beat her and tied her up. But Suzanne Ledet was able to escape as the assailants tried to force her husband, Sterling, to give them money. Troutman was taken into custody during a routine traffic stop. Police say they have evidence that Troutman was involved in this home invasion robbery attempt.

Armed robbery is considered a violent crime in the State of Georgia. Even when the robbery is not committed with an actual firearm or weapon, a defendant may be charged with armed robbery. Georgia Code 16-8-41 states that “person commits the offense of armed robbery when, with intent to commit theft, he or she takes property of another from the person or the immediate presence of another by use of an offensive weapon, or any replica, article, or device having the appearance of such weapon.”

Continue reading "Atlanta Police Arrest Suspect In Decatur Home Invasion" »

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Posted In: Theft Crimes

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A 21-year-old man is facing Dacula theft charges in connection with burglaries in three portable classrooms in Gwinett, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports . Robert Franz Joseph II also faces similar theft charges in Hall County involving break-ins at more than a dozen school trailers in Flowery Branch.

Apparently, in most of the Gwinett incidents, Joseph allegedly stole projectors from the trailers, each worth about $1,000. In the Flowery Branch schools he is accused of stealing 16 laptop computers from 17 portable classrooms at C.W. Davis Middle School. Other schools police say Joseph struck include Collins Hill High School in Suwanee; Lanier Middle School in Buford and Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville. Joseph is being held without bond on three counts of burglary and 45 counts of theft by receiving.

Continue reading "Suspect in Gwinett and Flowery Branch School Thefts Arrested" »

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A Muscogee County Superior Court Judge sentenced a 20-year-old Columbus man involved in a shoe store robbery to 20 years in prison without the possibility of parole. Devin Harper’s sentencing came days after his co-defendant was acquitted of all charges in the case.

According to a news report posted on the Ledger Enquirer Web site a jury found Harper guilty of armed robbery after they deliberated for nearly seven hours although he was found not guilty of other charges including three counts of kidnapping and one count of possessing a firearm during the said crime which occurred on Aug. 25, 2006 at a local Foot Locker store.

Harper will also face a separate trial on pending burglary and theft charges on a different case, which will be heard next month, prosecutors said. Harper was accused of entering the Foot Locker just before closing time with other men and robbing the store while forcing three employees to the back room at gun point. Prosecutors said he and several other men robbed merchandise from the Foot Locker.

Continue reading "20 Year Sentence For Robbing Foot Locker" »

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Posted In: Theft Crimes

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