A serial burglar suspected of targeting at least four churches is behind bars in the Gwinnett County Jail.
Gwinnett Police have charged 24-year-old Albert Sams with stealing four keyboards from Hebron Baptist in Dacula but he’s suspected in four other church robberies in Duluth, Norcross, and Johns Creek.
Cpl. Michele Pihara says in each case musical equipment was stolen.
“Sams went into a pawn shop here in unincorporated Gwinnett County and pawned off two of those keyboards; the next day he also went to another pawn shop and pawned off the other two keyboards,” she tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.
While the keyboards, valued at $6,000, have been recovered by the church, Pihara says there is more equipment detectives have located at other pawn shops that they’ve linked to Sams. They’re now trying to find the owners.
“We’re hoping that by getting this information out that we can locate some more of those victims, tie Mr. Sams to those crimes, and hold him accountable for those crimes,” she says.
If a church finds musical equipment missing and believes it has been the victim of a crime, it’s asked to contact the Burglary Unit at Gwinnett Police at 770-513-5343.
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