Ex-worker pawned items

Man, 24, accused of stealing to support his heroin habit.

A former employee with Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management is accused of stealing thousands of dollars in city equipment that he said he pawned to fuel his heroin habit.

Jonathan Macdonald, 24, was in court Thursday after being indicted this week on three charges of theft by a government employee. He’s alleged to have stolen everything from solar panels to a stop gate arm outside the watershed facility on Monroe Drive.

Brad Malkin, who leads the Fulton County district attorney’s office white collar crime unit, said it’s unclear just how much equipment Macdonald stole.

Macdonald was arrested in September after stolen solar panels turned up at E Pawn on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. Atlanta police discovered Macdonald allegedly had pawned several items at the northwest Atlanta shop.

After first telling police he had purchased the items, then pawned them, Macdonald confessed to stealing 15 sets of solar panels and an auger, a police incident report said.

According to the report, the Marietta man “would go the pawnshop and pawn the stuff and go buy drugs. Macdonald said he has a “heroin problem” and E Pawn just happened to be near his dealer, police said.

Malkin said Macdonald is expected to plead guilty and offer to pay back $35,000 when the case continues in court June 21, but the state will seek more restitution.

Malkin said the state will require a more significant financial restitution. The state also will request that Macdonald, currently out on bond, serve prison time. He could face up to 15 years.

“It’s a serious crime,” Malkin said. “We are going to ask the court to impose an appropriate sentence.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Watershed Management issued a statement in response to questions about the alleged thefts. It said it had implemented new security measures in the wake of the thefts, which took place during summer and fall 2011.

“The changes include upgrades of perimeter security at department facilities and internal security technologies, lock replacements with limited key distribution, and institution of a new card access system,” the statement said.