Three men from the same family were arrested after authorities said they connected them to a theft ring operating out of Hall County.
Michael Lopez, 32, Carlos Ernesto Lopez Jr., 19, and Jan Carlos Lopez, 22, are each charged with violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and various counts of entering auto, the Hall sheriff’s office said.
The arrests stem from a monthslong investigation into a string of car break-ins and thefts that happened between April and June, officials said.
Michael Lopez was taken into custody June 3 after the sheriff’s office accused him of stealing an SUV from a home on Gilleland Circle in Peachtree Corners. The SUV, which was worth more than $10,000, was recovered the same day, the sheriff’s said.
Authorities then obtained warrants accusing Carlos Lopez in the Gilleland Circle incident. Among his charges are computer trespass and theft by taking. Officials said Carlos Lopez, who is the nephew of Michael Lopez, deleted a program from a computer that had been stolen during the incident. Carlos Lopez was arrested at his home June 9.
Jan Lopez, a cousin to both of the other suspects, was taken into custody at his home Aug. 18. It is not clear how authorities connected him to the theft ring.
All three men remain in the Hall County Jail, records show. Michael Lopez is being held on a $16,900 bond, Carlos Lopez is being held on a $32,300 bond and Jan Lopez is being held on a $45,600 bond.
An investigation is ongoing.
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