Theft investigation leads Gwinnett County police to drug trafficking suspects
5 arrested after construction theft
An investigation into theft at a construction site leads to nearly half a dozen arrests for theft and drug trafficking in Gwinnett County. Police say they found more than a hundred grams of meth on the suspects who were caught stealing materials from a home under construction.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Police in Gwinnett County say an investigation into theft at a construction site led to nearly half a dozen people being arrested on charges of felony theft and drug trafficking.
Gwinnett County police say moments before cameras captured a red pick-up truck bolting out of a Dacula neighborhood, the driver behind the wheel, along with two others, had stolen hundreds of dollars worth of materials from the site of a new construction home.
"The initial report came on July 1 from a house that’s under construction that reported seven windows being taken from the house," Cpl. Ryan Keck said Tuesday.
Homeowners told police the thieves stole almost $1,200 worth of windows and shared video of the truck speeding off.
Keck says just when the suspects thought they may have gotten away with it, investigators spotted that same pick-up truck at a nearby gas station on July 24 using Flock cameras.
Officials say the stolen windows were clearly visible in the back of the truck.
"They made contact with the driver and through the course of the investigation, ended up finding five people to arrest in this with a litany of charges," Keck told FOX 5.
Those charges ranged from loitering to trafficking methamphetamine after investigators discovered the suspects had more than 100 grams of meth on them.
Gwinnett County police say the street value of that amount is somewhere around $5,500.
"110 grams of meth there, several other charges and there were 12 outstanding warrants between the five of them," said Keck. "So, these were no strangers to law enforcement prior to this incident."
Forty-nine-year-old Joseph Menelao of Lawrenceville, 41-year-old Joanna Barrett of Lawrenceville and 37-year-old Melissa Hood-Conley of Sugar Hill were all charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug-related objects.
Menelao, Hood-Conley and another man – 50-year-old Brian Prather – also face charges of felony theft by taking. Casey Joe Brooks of Winder was charged with giving a false name to a police officer.