An investigation continues into the activities of a Gainesville man accused in a series of theft and forgery charges and an $80,000 residential burglary that have occurred over the last several weeks.
HALL CO. SHERIFF’S OFFICE (HCSO) NARRATIVE:
“Timothy Lee Johnson, 41, was first arrested on April 2…after he cashed a check on March 29 for $2,000 to the United Community Bank branch on Jesse Jewell Parkway in Gainesville. Mr. Johnson had forged the account holder’s name on the check. For that particular crime, Mr. Johnson was charged with deposit account fraud and third degree forgery, both felony offenses.
Property crimes investigators with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) were able to determine Mr. Johnson had obtained the check when he and an accomplice, identified as Ashley Paige Smith, 41, of Cornelia, burglarized a residence on Latty Road the night of March 28. The owners of the residence were out of the country, and a house sitter found evidence of the break-in and called law enforcement. To date, investigators have determined Mr. Johnson and Ms. Smith stole an estimated $80,000 worth of items, including jewelry, a MacBook and blank checks. A full list of missing items is expected after the homeowners return home and conduct an inventory of their belongings. On April 4, HCSO investigators charged Mr. Johnson with burglary in the first degree, a felony crime.
On April 7, investigators charged Mr. Johnson with two counts of misdemeanor theft by deception after they found evidence he had pawned some of the stolen items at two local pawn shops.
On April 15, in a separate case, property crimes investigators determined Mr. Johnson had stolen four personal checks from a Buford resident, filling out the checks and passing them to four different victims. For that crime, Mr. Johnson has been charged with four (4) counts of forgery in the fourth degree.
The investigations into Mr. Johnson’s criminal activities continue, and additional charges are possible.
At this time, Mr. Johnson is out of jail on bond.”