LEE COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) — A routine traffic stop in North Georgia led police to a firearm stolen from a Lee County man eight years earlier.

The Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol belonged to Gary Clark, a former Lee County resident whose vehicle was broken into in July 2018. Canton police recovered the firearm during an Aug. 14 traffic stop in Cherokee County after a serial number check linked it to the original theft report.

“Firearms taken in entering autos is the biggest way that guns get on the streets to people who do not need to be in possession of them,” Lee County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Eddie Burgess said.

How police uncovered the stolen firearm

According to a Canton Police Department incident report, an officer stopped a driver for driving without a license plate, and failure to provide insurance.

While waiting for a tow truck to impound the vehicle, the officer retrieved a handgun from the center console. A serial number check revealed the firearm had been stolen from Lee County in 2018.

Canton Police determined the driver was unaware the gun was stolen and dismissed theft charges.

Clark said that recovered pistol was one of two weapons stolen from his truck in 2018.

“Got up Saturday morning, walked out, and my truck door was open,” Clark said. “And first thing I looked in my console, and my weapons were missing.”

Burgess said authorities could not account for the pistol’s whereabouts during the years it was missing. WALB asked Canton police whether the gun was connected to any other crimes during that time.

How investigators identify stolen weapons

Burgess said Clark documented his firearms’ serial numbers, allowing deputies to enter the stolen weapons into the Georgia Crime Information Center database in 2018.

“Basically, it’s just a waiting game to see when, or if we will come in contact or some law enforcement somewhere in the country will come in contact with that item again,” Burgess said.

Investigators can also use pawn transaction databases and federal tracing tools to research stolen firearms, although Burgess said authorities could not account for the weapon’s whereabouts during the years it was missing.

Deputies stress firearm safety

While Georgia law generally permits lawful gun owners to keep firearms in their vehicles, Burgess said removing them overnight or securing them in installed lockboxes is best practice.

“He had his serial numbers and that’s what got his firearm back to him,” Burgess said.

Clark said he never expected to see his pistol again and has since changed how he stores his firearms. The second stolen firearm has not been recovered yet.

“Don’t keep it in your vehicle overnight. I’ve stopped doing that,” Clark said.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office coordinated the return of the recovered pistol to Clark after Canton police identified it during the traffic stop.

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