GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Seven men have been formally charged with violating the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for their alleged involvement in breaking into or stealing nearly 500 cars over the course of two years.
Police said the group "were organized and planned" in their alleged crimes, which is why they're now being charged under the RICO Act for conspiring the break into or steal the 492 cars between November 2022 and March 2024.
The investigation by the Gwinnett County Police Department began in November 2022 when police said they noticed a trend in work vans being broken into with high-end paint sprayers and other tools being stolen.
The investigation lasted more than a year and resulted in the department's first arrest of a 22-year-old Fairburn man in February 2023. At the time, investigators knew more suspects were involved but were unable to identity them.
Then, in June 2023, police said they again noticed an uptick in break-ins and car thefts. It came to a head when police said the suspects were confronted by a homeowner on July 19, 2023, as they were breaking into vehicles on Traymore Drive in Norcross. One of the suspects reportedly shot at the homeowner, but did not hit him. Due to this incident, the seven are also begin charged with aggravated assault.
The alleged crimes continued as investigators processed evidence and sorted through surveillance footage. A second arrest was made on Aug. 31, 2023. It was several months, with continued break-ins, before investigators were able to identify and obtain warrants for the other five suspects. At this time, two of the suspects have not been arrested.
The investigation used fingerprint analysis, DNA, surveillance videos and cell phone data, Gwinnett police said. Several law enforcement organizations were involved, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Norcross Police Department, Duluth Police Department, Lilburn Police Department, Cobb County Police Department, Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office and Gwinnett County District Attorney.
According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, the suspects - ranging ages 22 through 27 - often used stolen cars while committing the crimes to hide their identity and move between crime scenes.
According to Gwinnett police, the crew was well-organized, preplanning many crimes and operating a safe house in the East Point area of Fulton County, where they kept guns, cash and more.
