A Douglas County man who has previously served in state prisons four times was sentenced to 80 years in prison for his latest conviction for breaking into cars, stealing credit cards and racking up debt, according to the district attorney’s office.
William Raymond Bush, 40, whose record includes 12 felony convictions, was found guilty of eight counts of identity fraud, five counts of entering automobiles and two counts of theft, DA Brian Fortner said Monday. At the time of his trial, Bush was wanted in other metro counties for similar crimes, Fortner said.
"The citizens of Douglas County should feel safe at local parks and gyms like Fowler Field and LA Fitness," Fortner said in a statement posted on his department's Facebook page. "The Defendant has repeatedly proven over the last 20 years that he thinks he is entitled to steal from others and disregard the law. The jury's conviction sent the message loud and clear to the Defendant that we don't tolerate career criminals in our community."
One of Bush's victims was James Freeman, a pastor at the new Courageous Worship Church in northwest Atlanta, whose vehicle was broken into at a Douglasville golf course last year, Channel 2 Action News reported.
“(Bush) went to Best Buy, he went to Dillards, he went to QuikTrip, he went to Red Lobster, he went to Petsmart, Publix,” Freeman said.
In all, Bush racked up $4,000 in two hours on the church’s debit cards and the pastor’s cards, according to police. Bush was later arrested after being recognized from surveillance camera footage. He has been held in the Douglas County jail since October 2013.
Bush has been in state prison four times since 1999 following similar theft convictions, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
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