Electronics Repair Shop Owner Charged With Racketeering

WOODSTOCK, GA — The owner of an electronics repair shop in Woodstock has been arrested and charged with racketeering in connection to his operations at his business on Highway 92, police said.

James White, owner of Elite Techs at 9539 Highway 92 Suite 120, has been charged with violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, Act, felony theft by taking, misdemeanor theft by taking and felony deposit account fraud, the Woodstock Police Department notes.

White was arrested after an investigation into his business practices, which began in May 2017 when officers began receiving complaints about the company. These complaints began as business disputes, but overtime, "it became apparent that the business and more specifically the owner, Mr. James White, had begun defrauding customers and committing multiple thefts," said Woodstock police spokesperson Brittany Page.

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After obtaining several reports, Woodstock police detectives started looking deeper into the complaints of individuals, businesses and employees of Elite Techs. Detectives with Woodstock Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division interviewed victims, employees and other involved parties, and learned there was a location in Kennesaw where White was also suspected of similar activities.

Kennesaw and Woodstock police began working together on the investigation, and search warrants were executed at the location on Highway 92 and at the Kennesaw store at 3111 Moon Station Road Suite 200. During the search warrant in Woodstock more than 200 pieces of property were recovered by police. However, less than half of those items were marked with the owners' contact information, Page added.

Patch asked Page what White was doing with the devices customers turned over to him for service requests.

"In many cases he wasn’t making repairs at all," Page said. "In fact we believe he was taking property and pirating parts, as he was not ordering any parts per his employees."

The agency encourages current or past customers of Elite Techs of Woodstock whose property may still be with the business to call its Criminal Investigation Divisions at 770-592-6000 ext. 1127.

If you are a current or former customer of Elite Techs of Kennesaw and you possibly have property in that company's possession, you are urged to contact the Kennesaw Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 770-422-2505 or email Lt. Graydon at cgraydon@kennesaw-ga.gov.

Photo: James White. Credit: Woodstock Police Department