GAINESVILLE - The man charged with the theft of a safe from Maranatha Christian Academy in Oakwood has now been charged with last month's break-in at Gainesville First United Methodist Church.
Jeremy Nathan Brantley, 26, of Gainesville is charged with one count of burglary and one count of theft by taking in connection with the May 21 burglary at Gainesville First Methodist. Brantley is currently being held at the Hall County Detention Center.
Gainesville Police Sgt. Johnny Ray said that Brantley was arrested on June 2 after officers responded to a call about a suspicious person at Lakewood Baptist Church. Lakewood is located with a half mile of First Methodist Church.
According to Sgt. Ray, the suspect left Lakewood Church before Gainesville officers arrived, but he was stopped on Thompson Bridge road by a Hall County deputy who was in the area. The subject that was stopped was identified as Jeremy Brantley. He was taken to the Gainesville Police Department to be interviewed; however, he declined to make any statements regarding the burglary. He was then transported to the Hall County Detention Center on unrelated traffic offenses.
Sgt. Ray said that during the continued investigation of the First Methodist Church burglary, Gainesville Police Department investigators obtained information linking Brantley to the burglary at Maranatha Christian Academy.
A joint investigation with Gainesville investigators and Hall County investigators led authorities to a location in Forsyth County, where evidence in the Oakwood Maranatha Christian Academy burglary was recovered. Investigators with the Oakwood Police Department were contacted and responded to take custody of that evidence.
Items from the Gainesville First United Methodist Church burglary have not been recovered, according to Sgt. Ray.
All involved agencies are continuing their investigations into Brantleyâ
Wednesday
May 7th, 2025
2:54PM
