by Jason Wright / Appen Newspapers
July 10, 2008 ALPHARETTA -- Alpharetta police are in the process of charging a 38-year-old disbarred lawyer from Johns Creek with dozens of felonies for allegedly breaking into cars following his arrest July 8.George Gordon, a spokesman with the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, said Phillip A. Strickland's car and Sandy Lane Drive home held literally hundreds of allegedly stolen items, including dozens of lap tops, at least 40 drivers' licenses and social security cards and more from at least five counties."This is an unbelievable bust," he said. "These crimes were committed over a long period of time."
July 10, 2008 ALPHARETTA -- Alpharetta police are in the process of charging a 38-year-old disbarred lawyer from Johns Creek with dozens of felonies for allegedly breaking into cars following his arrest July 8.George Gordon, a spokesman with the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety, said Phillip A. Strickland's car and Sandy Lane Drive home held literally hundreds of allegedly stolen items, including dozens of lap tops, at least 40 drivers' licenses and social security cards and more from at least five counties."This is an unbelievable bust," he said. "These crimes were committed over a long period of time."
Strickland was arrested after an Alpharetta police officer spotted his 1998 Ford Contour driving suspiciously on Lake Shore Landing, which is in the Windward development of Windward Parkway, said Gordon. The officer ran Strickland's tag, which didn't come up for any address in Windward.Given eight car break-ins had recently occurred in the neighborhood, the officer pulled over Strickland to ask a few questions. According to a report of the incident, he was "shaking and sweating profusely" during questioning.Gordon said the officer noticed several black bags used to hold GPS devices scattered throughout the car, along with some screwdrivers and other tools commonly used to break into cars. He arrested Strickland after finding some pills later identified as phenobarbital, a barbiturate, in an unmarked pill bottle. Strickland allegedly admitted he had no prescription for the pills.Strickland was taken to Alpharetta jail that day and charged with possession of the pills and not keeping them in their original container.
While inventorying his car, the arresting officer found five GPS devices, a laptop, a Nintendo DS 19 methadone pills, three iPods and dozens of pieces of identification. Those allegedly stolen items were used to gain a search warrant for his home the next day, and that's where Alpharetta police hit the mother load."We're trying now to get in touch with the victims," said Gordon.He said detectives have been matching the items with cases from Johns Creek, Alpharetta and Forsyth, Cherokee and Gwinnett Counties. Gordon stressed that police will contact victims and not to call Alpharetta police.Police are also looking at Strickland for charges of check fraud.According to the State Bar Association of Georgia, Strickland was disbarred by the Georgia Supreme Court in early October, 2006 after being suspended in 2004 and 2005 for allegations of taking clients' money, then never delivering any services. He also reportedly never gave back sensitive case files and failed to respond to the Bar's inquiries.
While inventorying his car, the arresting officer found five GPS devices, a laptop, a Nintendo DS 19 methadone pills, three iPods and dozens of pieces of identification. Those allegedly stolen items were used to gain a search warrant for his home the next day, and that's where Alpharetta police hit the mother load."We're trying now to get in touch with the victims," said Gordon.He said detectives have been matching the items with cases from Johns Creek, Alpharetta and Forsyth, Cherokee and Gwinnett Counties. Gordon stressed that police will contact victims and not to call Alpharetta police.Police are also looking at Strickland for charges of check fraud.According to the State Bar Association of Georgia, Strickland was disbarred by the Georgia Supreme Court in early October, 2006 after being suspended in 2004 and 2005 for allegations of taking clients' money, then never delivering any services. He also reportedly never gave back sensitive case files and failed to respond to the Bar's inquiries.
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