GBI makes Arrest in DNR Wildlife Management Area Thefts

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019, 22-year-old James Arthur Graham of Lawrenceville, Georgia was arrested in Gwinnett County for theft by receiving stolen property in connection with statewide burglaries of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Management Areas.  On Sept. 23, 2019, 20-year-old Parker Lewis Dean of Braselton, Georgia was arrested in Barrow County for theft by receiving stolen property as part of the same investigation. Both Graham and Dean went on a burglary spree together targeting the Wildlife Management Areas from May 2019 through September 2019.  The Georgia Bureau of Investigation Cleveland Office was originally requested to conduct the investigation into burglaries at Stephens County, Dawson County, and Lumpkin County Wildlife Management Areas in June of 2019. As the investigation evolved, it was determined that additional burglaries occurred, both before the GBI investigation and during the investigation, in Hart, Putnam, Burke, Greene, McDuffie, Bartow, Marion, and Dooly counties.  Additionally, the suspects are believed to be responsible for a burglary at the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge. Approximately $50,000 worth of equipment was stolen during the burglaries and the majority of the items have been recovered as a result of search warrants done in Gwinnett and Barrow counties. The GBI Cleveland Office worked jointly with the DNR Law Enforcement Division to conduct this statewide investigation. The GBI Athens, Thompson, and Americus Offices, as well as local law enforcement partners, were also integral to the investigation.  Upon completion of the investigation, the case file will be provided to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office for prosecution. Additional charges for both Graham and Dean are expected.