Last updated on August 26, 2021

In late June, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office culminated a significant Burglary/Grand Theft investigation with the arrest of 52-year-old Corey Leander Johnson, of Titusville. Johnson, a Career Offender with a criminal history of well over 100 pages had recently been placed on felony probation until 2033 following a 2017 conviction for burglary of a structure and possession of a firearm by convicted felon.

The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office theft investigation identified Johnson as a suspect in appliance and HVAC unit thefts from new construction home sites throughout Brevard and Volusia Counties. Throughout the investigation, it was learned that Johnson would identify new housing developments and then burglarize the new homes, removing various appliances, HVAC units, front doors, sliding doors, tile, and other expensive construction materials from the sites.

Johnson would then sell the stolen items to other unsuspecting contractors who were building homes in other areas. The investigation culminated with the execution of search warrants at four different locations in Titusville and Mims where Agents recovered stolen appliances, HVAC units, and numerous home construction materials, with a value of approximately $100,000.

Johnson had also been previously arrested in February of this year by the Melbourne Police Department where he was apprehended on a home construction site in the act of stealing appliances and construction materials, and was then again arrested by the Sheriff’s Office on June 5, 2020, in reference to a Bench Warrant for Failure to Appear on a Felony Violation of Probation Charge. Unfortunately, Johnson was released on bond from the Brevard County Jail on June 7, 2020 before additional charges could be placed on him by our Agents. An arrest warrant was obtained for Johnson after his release in June and he was subsequently featured at the “Fugitive of the Week” on Wheel of Fugitive®️, as well as a Fugitive Target on a recent episode of Brevard County Justice.

Brevard County Sheriff’s Agent Rick Clements, a member of the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force recently received information that Johnson was hiding at a residence in Titusville where Sheriff’s Agents and GAME OVER Task Force members responded and observed Johnson at the residence. After a brief surveillance, Johnson exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident. According to other occupants at the residence, Johnson observed the Agents outside the home and initially hid within the residence attic before finally making the decision to surrender.