A man accused of committing multiple violent home invasions while impersonating a law enforcement officer in Gwinnett County was denied bond Friday.
Christopher Michael, 34, will remain in jail after he was arrested early last month in connection with a long list of charges related to two home armed robberies, according to online court records. At least one other man was arrested on charges related to the same incidents, and multiple other suspects in the case have not been publicly identified.
At Friday’s bond hearing, investigators testified that Michael posted photos on social media of himself wearing a unique chain stolen from a victim in one of the September incidents, Channel 2 Action News reported. Detectives also said they tracked Michael’s phone location and were able to place it at both homes when the incidents happened, the news station reported.
According to Channel 2, Michael’s lawyer argued that none of the victims had positively identified his client. The Gwinnett magistrate judge ruled in favor of the prosecution and denied bond.
Authorities believe Michael was one of five armed men who stormed a Lilburn home around 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 6, allegedly kicking in the doors while yelling that they were with police and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Doorbell camera footage obtained by Channel 2 shows two cars pulling up to the home in the middle of the night and five men quickly approaching the house.
A victim told Channel 2 the masked men terrorized her family and stole electronics. She said they threatened her and her family, including her children.
Less than a week later, Michael is accused of dressing as a police officer and committing another home invasion at an apartment complex in Norcross, police confirmed. He is suspected of robbing more victims at gunpoint before carjacking a man outside.
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