An Athens man on a motorized scooter in Danielsville at 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning was arrested and charged with the burglary of a Danielsville pharmacy.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Troy Christopher McGraw, 37, of Athens. McGraw also gave a Statham address, according to the press release.
According to the incident report, Deputy Steve Gary was leaving the E-911 center when he heard the burglar alarm sound at the Medicine Shoppe pharmacy on nearby Nomora Drive. Gary found the left, front glass door of the pharmacy broken, and as he called for backup, he spotted a white Honda scooter stop at the stop sign on Madison Avenue and then turn onto General Daniel Avenue North.
Deputy Tim Nix spotted the moped as it traveled through the red light north of Danielsville before turning into the Huddle House parking lot. The scooter then reportedly circled the parking lot and returned to the highway, this time heading south. The driver (McGraw) was stopped by Nix at the red light.
Nix observed particles of glass on McGraw and drove him back to the pharmacy to meet with Gary. While questioning him, the deputies also noticed glass shards on his hair, clothing, shoes and scooter. When asked about the glass, McGraw allegedly replied that he had been in an automobile accident several days before in Clarke County.
This story proved to be untrue according to Athens-Clarke County 911 and McGraw then said he was traveling from Hartwell and had pulled into the Huddle House to eat, realized he forgot his wallet and left.
Gary then handcuffed and arrested McGraw, charging him with one count of felony burglary.
Pharmacy intern Brad Kirk came to the scene around 3 a.m. and took an inventory, reporting to the deputies that several bottles of Oxycontin, Percocet and other narcotics were missing.
While no drugs were found on McGraw’s person, according to Chief Deputy Mike Benner, they were later found during a search of an area behind the Madison County Government Complex. Also found was the tag belonging to the scooter, which had been reported stolen from an Athens residence, according to Benner.
Sheriff Clayton Lowe contacted the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) about recent burglaries of pharmacies in that county. An ACCPD investigator was also provided with information linking McGraw to the residential burglary.
A search warrant was executed with the assistance of Madison County investigators at his residence in Grove-Highland Mobile Home Park in northern Clarke County. Evidence seized during the search linked McGraw to the Clarke County pharmacy burglaries, according to the press release.
McGraw is being held in the Madison County Jail without bond and has so far refused to cooperate with investigators, the release stated. The investigation is continuing and additional charges are expected, according to Benner.
