Facebook Tip Leads To Forgery, Theft Arrest

A Sandy Springs man has been arrested and charged in connection to a forgery and theft case after a resident used social media to tip off authorities.

According to the Sandy Springs Police Department’s Facebook page, Samuel Timmons, 36, of 8601 Roberts Drive was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 11 after a resident left a “minor” drug tip using an app embedded on its social media site.

After the arrest, officers located a Dodge Challenger that was reported stolen from a rental business in Atlanta. Subsequent investigation into the suspect revealed fake documents, identification, corporations and fake pay stubs he allegedly used to obtain lines of credit.

Police said Timmons also had in his possession three rental vehicles on the night of his arrest and equipment used to make credit, debit and gift cards. Investigators also recorded at least 14 additional aliases possibly used by Timmons.

Other items in his possession included hundreds of names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers detectives are verifying in an effort to locate any potential victims, so additional charges are pending.

The agency notes this arrest “highlights the significance” of how submitting a minor tip could snowball into a major felony bust.

“The convenience of using tip applications encourages citizens to report what they see,” Sandy Springs police said.

(Photo credit: Sandy Springs Police Department)