Two unidentified men followed the owner of Icebox Diamonds & Watches, a popular jewelry store in Buckhead, home last Friday night. They were armed with guns and reportedly forced the owner and his wife inside the home robbing them of the keys to the store. They then proceeded to tie the two victims up and rob their house of jewelry and cash.
After that, they drove to the store in Buckhead and robbed it of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.
As a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney, I will outline a few of the crimes that the unidentified suspects have been accused of committing. As of right now, both Atlanta and Cobb County police are investigating the crimes. Anyone with information has been urged to contact police as soon as possible.
False Imprisonment in Georgia
On top of the initial burglary in Georgia charges for breaking into the owner's home, they will also most likely be facing false imprisonment charges. False imprisonment in Georgia is defined by law in O.C.G.A. §16-5-41 as:
A person commits the offense of false imprisonment when, in violation of the personal liberty of another, he arrests, confines, or detains such person without legal authority.
False imprisonment is classified as a felony offense in Georgia. This means that if convicted an individual could face up to ten years in prison. Furthermore, there are situations that can actually increase the maximum penalty. These situations include the victim being under the age of 14 or if the imprisonment lasted longer than 12 hours.
Armed Robbery in Georgia
Another offense faced by the two individuals is armed robbery in Georgia. This is as a result of them breaking into the owner's home and robbing the owner of the keys to his jewelry store. It was reported that both individuals had firearms on them. Georgia Law defines armed robbery in O.C.G.A. §16-8-41 as:
A 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 have the appearance of such weapon.
Armed robbery is classified as a serious violent felony offense in Georgia. The penalties for armed robbery in Georgia are severe. A conviction of Armed Robbery carries a potential sentence of ten to twenty years in prison with the very minimum being ten years in prison with no early release and the maximum sentence being a life sentence in prison or the death penalty considering the circumstances around the crime.
Practice Note
As you can see, the individuals responsible for the incident in the report above are facing some serious consequences. Felony Penalties in Georgia should never be taken lightly. There are defenses that can work in a case of a wrongful arrest or accusation or even just to mitigate the consequences of a conviction.
Therefore, if you or a loved one has been accused of committing a crime in Georgia, contact a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer today.
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