GEORGIA COMPUTER THEFT AT SCHOOLS LEAD TO ARRESTS Police sting yields stolen laptops from schools; four arrestedPolice sting yields stolen laptops from schools; four arrested


By Andria Simmons
andria.simmons@gwinnettdailypost.com

LAWRENCEVILLE — Four people were arrested and dozens of stolen laptops belonging to metro Atlanta school systems were recovered Wednesday night in a police sting operation.
Gwinnett School Police and Gwinnett County Police acted on a tip that the stolen computers were being sold on E-bay, an Internet auction Web site, according to Sloan Roach, spokeswoman for Gwinnett County Public Schools.
A search warrant was issued at a residence off Williams Road in Norcross and four people were arrested on charges of theft by taking.
About 40 laptop computers, some projectors and other electronic devices were recovered at the location.
“We are continuing to look into how the computers were actually taken from the schools,” Roach said. “There has been in Gwinnett as well as other metro area school systems laptops that have been stolen recently. We have had several schools that have experienced break-ins.”
The similar thefts have occurred in Fulton and DeKalb counties. School officials were working with Fulton County Public Schools to return several laptops which have already been traced to them.
Much of the electronic equipment is still being catalogued as authorities work to determine where it came from and return it to the rightful owners, Roach said.
Associate Superintendent Emmett Lawson said he was pleased with the arrests.
“We take theft of school property very seriously,” Lawson said. “We will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect the property of the citizens of Gwinnett County and will continue to work with other agencies to address these burglaries.”