Across dozens of Georgia counties, Home Depots reported that they were robbed of more than $63,000 in a theft scheme perpetuated by three men, police said.
Over the weekend, authorities arrested one of the suspects, while the search continues for the other two.
Brandon Jermaine Lipsey, 31, of Conyers, was arrested Saturday in DeKalb County on an outstanding racketeering charge in Cobb County, records show. He’s accused of “ticket switching” at Cobb Home Depot stores 21 times and committing more than 200 thefts in the state.
Lipsey, along with Decatur resident Isaac Murphy and an unidentified third man, are accused in the racketeering scheme, which has hit at least 59 Home Depots across 32 Georgia counties, according to an arrest warrant.
Cobb police said Lipsey and Murphy would go into the stores together, committing crimes at different registers, the warrant said. They’re accused of scanning cheap items while taking more expensive items and swiping some merchandise without paying at all.
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In Cobb, the alleged scheme took place between Feb. 11 and March 30, authorities said. The trio are accused of 236 fraudulent transactions across Georgia, totaling $63,232.
Lipsey was already out of jail on a $1,500 bond during this period due to a misdemeanor shoplifting arrest on Dec. 19, 2019 in Cobb County, records show. He is accused of stealing $349 worth of items from the Home Depot off the East-West Connector, according to another warrant.
On Saturday, he was arrested at a gas station near Flat Shoals and Panola roads, DeKalb police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent told AJC.com. He was a passenger in a stolen vehicle, and when officers ran his name, the active racketeering warrant showed up, she said.
The next day, he was transferred to the Cobb County jail, where he remains on a $16,720 bond, jail records show.
Anyone with information on Murphy or the other suspects is asked to contact Cobb police at 770-499-3900.
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