Area schools are trying to teach a special lesson — breaking into classrooms doesn't pay.

Robert Franz Joseph II of Dacula was arrested last week on charges that he burglarized three portable classrooms in Gwinnett, according to arrest warrants. He also faces charges in Hall County involving break-ins at more than a dozen school trailers in Flowery Branch.

Gwinnett County Sheriff (ENLARGE)

Robert Franz Joseph II faces charges in two counties.

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A spokeswoman for Gwinnett County Public Schools said Joseph primarily stole projectors from school trailers during the winter and spring of this school year. Some projectors were recovered after he was arrested Friday. Each projector is worth about $1,000, said Gwinnett schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach.

"All of this is related to our investigation of multiple trailer break-ins that we had this past school year," Roach said. "We've been actively working that case, and it's all culminating right now. It's a very good story for us."

Roach said she expects more people to be arrested and more charges to be filed in the case. She would not say how investigators linked Joseph to the break-ins, but she said the 21-year-old is not a student.

So far, authorities say Joseph has been connected to thefts from Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Lanier Middle School in Buford and Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville. The thefts occurred in March and April.

Joseph also faces charges in Hall County for allegedly stealing 16 laptop computers from 17 portable classrooms at C.W. Davis Middle School in April, according to warrants taken out by the Flowery Branch Police Department.

Joseph is being held without bond at the Gwinnett jail on three counts of burglary and 45 counts of theft by receiving.