Two Monroe Men Facing Burglary Charges in Oconee County

Authorities say two Monroe men, currently behind bars in separate counties, worked as a team in recent weeks to burglarize residences in Oconee County and at least one commercial property in Walton County.

Twenty-three-year-old Donald Cory Turpin turned himself into the Oconee County Jail on Wednesday evening on charges stemming from the July 26 that occurred only minutes apart. Two televisions, a laptop computer and a revolver were reported stolen.

Cpl. David  Stauffacher of the Oconee County Sheriff's Office says investigators obtained warrants for Turpin's arrest after a computer taken from one of the houses was recovered.  It had been sold and authorities traced the sale back to Turpin, he said.

Oconee deputies worked in tandem with the Walton County Sheriff's Office and Monroe Police Department because the agencies were investigating the burglary of a convenience store and other incidents that happened after, and were similar to, the burglaries in Oconee,  Stauffacher explained.

Oconee investigators also obtained arrest warrants for 25-year-old Ricky Young of Monroe for two counts of burglary in the first degree.

"The two were working as a team," Stauffacher said of Young and Turpin.

Young was paroled in February of 2011 after having been convicted and jailed for burglary, according to the state's parolee database. He is currently in the custody of Walton County -- but being housed in Newton County-- facing four additional burglary charges there, Stauffacher said.

Before surrendering to the Oconee County Jail, Turpin was out on bond after also having been charged with four counts of burglary in Walton, Stauffacher said.

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