Warner Robins man sentenced to 20 years without parole for theft and identity fraud

Joshua Warren King was convicted on multiple theft and identity fraud charges after officers found stolen property and personal documents belonging to others.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Warner Robins man will spend 20 years in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of multiple theft and identity fraud charges.

According to Houston County District Attorney’s Office District Attorney Eric Z. Edwards, 37-year-old Joshua Warren King was found guilty after a three-day jury trial that ended on October 31. King was convicted of two counts of theft by taking, possession of tools for the commission of a crime and five counts of identity fraud.

On Monday, Judge G.E. “Bo” Adams sentenced King to 25 years, with the first 20 years to be served in prison without parole. The District Attorney’s Office said King had six prior felony convictions.

According to the release, Warner Robins police officers were called to AAA Heating and Air on Elberta Road around 3 a.m. on January 16, 2024, about a suspicious vehicle caught on surveillance video after hours. Officers found the unoccupied vehicle behind the business containing several air conditioner compressors belonging to AAA. Investigators later determined the vehicle had been stolen.

Police said officers heard someone walking nearby and, after about an hour of searching, found King walking in 50-degree weather without a coat, carrying a bookbag and covered in grease. Officers said King gave them a false name and birthdate belonging to his brother. His real identity was revealed after he was booked into the Houston County Detention Center.

Inside King’s bookbag, investigators found a flashlight and several identification documents, licenses, passports, Social Security cards, mail, checkbooks and credit cards belonging to other people, along with documents and the title to the stolen vehicle, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

District Attorney Eric Edwards commended officers for their response.

“Warner Robins Police Department officers did exactly what they were trained to do in this case — they noticed something suspicious, they acted quickly, and they took a repeat offender off the streets before he could victimize anyone else,” Edwards said. “Thanks to the persistence of WRPD and the hard work of Senior ADA Mike Smith, that cycle of theft and deceit has come to an end.”