by Al Summers
News Editor
alsummers@timescourier.com
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Detectives from the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Department are looking for victims of a crime where suspects removed or stole mail out of mailboxes on the western side of Gilmer County.
Det. Stacy Nicholson told the Times-Courier on Tuesday, Aug. 31, a rash of mail thefts had occurred during the month of August in an area of the county concentrated between Hwy. 382 and Hwy. 52 West (Chatsworth Hwy.)
Nicholson said, “We have been investigating a number of cases where mail was removed from the mailboxes of postal patrons. In some of these cases, mail was removed from the mailboxes, opened, and then placed in other peoples’ mailboxes. In other cases, mail was removed from mailboxes, opened, and then dumped in other areas of the county.”
Ellijay Police Det. Lane Bennett said he was investigating a check fraud case with East Ellijay Police Officer Mike Davis when it was determined that some of the checks in question had been stolen from mailboxes out in the county.
The three agencies joined forces to produce two suspects who now have arrest warrants issued for their arrests.
Bennett said, “This was a good example of all three agencies working together, sharing information, and bringing criminals to justice.”
Nicholson said, “We are asking anybody who had mail stolen or feel that they might have had mail stolen, to call Det. Tim McArthur or myself at the criminal investigation department at the sheriff’s office at (706) 635-4646.”