Fed Ex driver pinched for series of home break-ins around Macon County

Charlie Dwyer

MACON, GA – During the last several weeks, multiple thefts have been reported in the Highlands area. Detectives with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office have conducted multiple interviews and followed up on several leads which did not result in any arrest or recovery of property. Investigators have also been working closely with the Highlands Police Department during the course of these investigations. Yesterday, a homeowner called Sheriff Holland about seeing a deputy inside her residence on her home surveillance camera and wanted to know what was going on and why a deputy was in her residence.

Sheriff Holland contacted the deputy assigned to the Highlands area and learned that the deputy was still inside the residence who was there because someone reported an open door and he was currently searching the home for any intruders. Upon completion of a thorough search the deputy was able to determine that there was no one in the residence. Later in the day, the same homeowner contacted Sheriff Holland and reported having a man on video earlier in the day on her security camera.

Homeowner said he appears to be wearing shorts and was there for just a brief time and fled when he saw her camera. Investigators with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office were able to identify that individual and were able to quickly locate him at his residence. Investigators were also able to confirm the man seen in the video was a FedEx driver who worked in the Highlands area. Throughout the night, interviews were conducted with the suspect who is identified as Gregory Thomas Bufkin, a local FedEx Delivery Driver. Investigators seized several pieces of evidence which included multiple pieces of jewelry and two firearms. Some of the items seized were found to be inside Bufkin’s work vehicle.

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Sheriff Robert Holland states, “While this case remains very active and we continue to follow up with information obtained during interviews, we can tie Mr. Bufkin to thefts in at least 11 Breaking and Enterings in the Highlands area. While we have solved multiple thefts in our area, some items recovered are from thefts that have not been discovered by homeowners and therefore have not been reported.”


This is an on-going investigation and additional charges are forthcoming.


Sheriff Holland concludes, “These officers have done a tremendous job and continue to work extremely hard to resolve all the cases they are assigned. As I said to a member of our local media last week, this is personal to these investigators, it’s “their” case and they want nothing more than to solve the case for those victims they are working hard for.”

Additional cases are expected to be reported in the coming days and weeks as part time residents return to their vacation homes. As with these cases, most of the residences victimized were done because they were found to have unlocked doors and open windows.

Bufkin’s charges include:

7 Counts – Felony Posses Stolen Goods

7 Counts – Breaking and Entering

7 Counts – Larceny After Breaking and Entering

6 Counts – Larceny of a Firearm

Bufkin is currently being held at the Macon County Detention Center under a $180,000.00 secured bond.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Macon County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division (828) 349-2107. You can also download the Macon County Sheriff’s Office App and provide tips anonymously from your cell phone or call our CRIMESTOPPERS Hotline at (828) 349-2600

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