FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (WPTA) — The third and final suspect in a Flowery Branch fraud investigation has been arrested.
Kendarius Jawaun Watson, 25, of Winterville, was booked into the Hall County Jail on Monday, April 28, on over two dozen charges of fraud and theft by deception. Watson is the last of three suspects accused of carrying out a scheme to steal mobile phones from a cellular retail store on Spout Springs Road.
Police allege Watson worked with two store employees—Connor Vaughn Free, 22, of Cumming, and Rico Demond Thomas, 24, of Winder—to use stolen identities to fraudulently obtain phones. The total value of the stolen phones is estimated to be around $100,000.
The investigation into the fraud scheme began when the store’s owners reported suspicious activity to the Flowery Branch Police Department. Authorities quickly launched an investigation, which revealed that the two store employees had conspired with Watson to steal the phones.
Both Free and Thomas have already been arrested. Thomas was taken into custody by Barrow County Sheriff’s deputies, while Free was arrested by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Both suspects are facing charges of identity theft, fraud, and theft by deception, and have since been released on bond.
Watson is currently being held at the Hall County Jail on a bond exceeding $136,000. As of Tuesday, he remains in custody awaiting further proceedings.
Authorities continue to investigate the case, and more updates are expected as they work to unravel the details of this large-scale fraud operation.
