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Arrest made in burglary of Oakwood antiques store

By B.J. Williams
Posted 12:05PM on Saturday 22nd March 2014 ( 10 years ago )
OAKWOOD - Oakwood Police believe they have found the man who is responsible for stealing about $30,000 dollars worth of estate jewelry from Aardvark Antiques earlier this month.

Oakwood Police Detective Danny Sridej said Saturday David M. Stubbs is in the Gwinnett County Jail on charges of theft by conversion in connection with an incident at an antiques restoration business that Stubbs owns. Stubbs was arrested earlier this week after Oakwood police released video surveillance footage from Aardvark Antiques and one of Stubbs' customers came forward to identify him.

"I discovered [during the investigation] that there was an outstanding warrant for theft by conversion related to the work that I guess he was supposed to perform for the restoration of antiques for a customer," said Sridej.

That outstanding warrant enabled Duluth police to arrest Stubbs, who has a Jefferson address.

Meanwhile, Sridej said he obtained a search warrant for Stubbs' business - Mercer Restorations on Main Street in Duluth - and he said that's where he found some of the missing jewelry pieces from Aardvark Antiques.

He said he was able to recover some of the pieces, but not all.

"The ones that we did not recover was a ruby ring, and diamond with gold bracelets worth over $10,000, so those that were most expensive we did not recover," said Sridej.

What they did find was antique silver jewelry, and Sridej said he suspects Stubbs was planning to melt down the jewelry to sell.

Sridej said he also believes there may be other antiques restoration customers who were duped by Stubbs. He said two customers came by the warehouse while he was conducting his search, looking for furniture Stubbs had not returned to them.

Sridej said any customers who feel Stubbs took advantage of them should contact Duluth police.

As far as the Oakwood case is concerned, Sridej said Stubbs will be formally charged with the Aardvark Antiques burglary on Monday.


David M. Stubbs (Photo from the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office)

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