Suspected Leader of Georgia Theft Ring Arrested

The Atlanta Police Department has reported that their officers have arrested a man who is allegedly the leader of a theft ring in metro Atlanta.

The suspect was arrested this past Thursday by the Atlanta Police Department's Auto Crimes Enforcement Unit. The suspect was identified while he was driving his registered vehicle in Northwest Atlanta. He had several warrants for his arrest.

Atlanta Police released the following statement regarding the theft ring: “The men have been part of an elaborate ring to steal cars from parking lots, parking garages and hotels, mostly in downtown Atlanta and Buckhead. They often would scout vehicles to steal and use a pickup truck outfitted with a wheel lift to tow the targeted vehicles.”

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney, I will outline just one of the offenses faced by the arrested suspect – theft by taking.

Theft by Taking in Georgia

Theft by Taking in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code as:

Theft by taking is the most common type of theft that appears in Georgia. Georgia defines theft by taking as occurring when a person 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 property is taken or appropriated. O.C.G.A. §16-8-2.

All theft crimes are classified similarly - ranging from theft by receiving in Georgia to theft of trade secrets in Georgia.

Therefore the theft crime can either be a misdemeanor or felony in Georgia.

When the theft involves property valued at $500 or less, then the crime will be deemed a misdemeanor in Georgia. The consequences of a misdemeanor include a fine of no more than $1,000 and a jail sentence of no more than 12 months.

When the theft involves property valued at more than $500, the crime will more than likely be deemed a felony. The consequences of a felony include a prison sentence of no less than one year and no more than ten years.

Practice Note

Regardless of the number of charges or the severity of said charges, just because a person has been arrested does not mean that he or she is guilty of committing any crime whatsoever. Call our offices now.