Arrest made in stolen guns and gear

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. - It was a disturbing burglary of a Fayette County law enforcement officer's home which could have put several high-powered weapons and body armor on the streets. But thankfully what could have been the start of a crime spree came to a quick end thanks to an alert deputy.

The Coweta County Sheriff's Office arrested and charged Brannon Lowery with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, removing a license plate to conceal a vehicle ID, operating a vehicle without registration and theft by receiving stolen property.

Coweta County Deputy Dalton Anderson is being credited with the arrest after he spotted three men trying to buy gas at a service station off Interstate 85. That would normally not be a problem but it was 4 a.m. Monday and the station was closed, clearly closed. And when the deputy ran the license plate, the description did not match the car the men were in.

Inside the vehicle, Deputy Anderson discovered two AR-15 rifles along with the tactical gear which were reported stolen only hours earlier.

Investigators said Lowery had been dating the daughter of the Fayette County deputy and may have even have dropped her off at the home the night the guns were stolen.