EATONTON, Ga. --- By day, Jay Weinberger lived the kind of successful life many businessmen live. But, for unknown reasons, when darkness settled in he became a thief, authorities say.
Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said Tuesday that the 47-year-old "was apparently living a double life."
According to police accounts, Mr. Weinberger ended his life early Saturday when he shot himself in the head with a 9 mm pistol just minutes after stealing a concession trailer in Putnam County. He had been spotted on Harmony Road by Deputy John Saunders without taillights and with an expired tag on the trailer.
Mr. Weinberger was co-owner with his brother, Mark, of Weinberger's Furniture and Mattress Showcase in Augusta and at Lake Oconee in Greene County.
Sheriff Sills said Mr. Weinberger was responsible for at least six trailer thefts.
"He clearly was doing this alone," the sheriff said. "He didn't need any other help to do what he was doing."
The trailer Mr. Weinberger was pulling was owned by the Lake Oconee Elks Lodge No. 2849. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found that someone had tried to remove the Elks decals from one side of the trailer. Two cans of decal remover -- one used -- were found inside the cab of the truck, which was registered to Weinberger Enterprise, Sheriff Sills said.
He said two trailers were found at the family business warehouse in Augusta and two others at the family business in Greene County. Those trailers had been stolen and their serial numbers removed. One trailer found at the business at Lake Oconee had been repainted and bore the name Weinberger's Furniture and Mattress Showcase on the sides. It contained furniture pieces.
The sheriff said that had it not been for Mr. Weinberger's brother, Mark, authorities might never have known about the two trailers in Augusta.
"His brother has cooperated with us 100 percent," Sheriff Sills said. "It's a real tough time for that family."
At least two of the trailers seized by authorities were empty. Two others were described as concession trailers and contained cooking equipment. One of the trailers and a boat trailer, containing stainless steel cooking equipment, were seized from the property of a man in Putnam County who was said to be an acquaintance of Jay Weinberger.
Sheriff Sills said the man, whom he would not identify, is not connected to the thefts. The man told authorities that Mr. Weinberger asked his permission to park the trailers on his property.
"We're fairly certain that Mr. Weinberger was taking the stolen trailer that he was pulling to that property," said Sheriff Sills, noting that Mr. Weinberger was about two miles from that property when he was stopped.
The Elks trailer was stolen between 3:30 and 4 a.m. Saturday.
Sheriff Sills said he expects the case to be wrapped up within a couple of weeks.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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But WHY was he stealing trailers?
How can his business partner not know the trailers were stolen. That's baloney. Something is not Kosher. Since Satan is the father of lies how can we expect his children to speak the truth. It will be easy to cover up the truth since dead people cannot talk.
So we have stolen trailers being painted and used in the business he was partners in with his brother. That must have been some process to steal, file off the numbers, paint the store name on and get license tags for them. How in the world did they account for the trailers on their taxes and books? Those trailers were beneficial to the business. In a partnership aren't profits divided equally?
You people don't have a clue what, exactly, was going on and it is WRONG to speculate about complicity among the living members of his family. Also, "peace", what do you mean when you talk about Satain's children? What are you implying? Jsynapse, you've been waiting for them to allow comments and now you're right on it. Why? What's it to you? It was only property and a man is dead.
I mean, Satan's children. Can't type.
Hotfoot said, "It was only property and a man is dead." You got that part right.
revelations 2:9 " i know your works, and tribulation
and poverty, (but you are rich) and i know the blasphemy of them which say they are jews and are not, but are the synagogue of satan. "
liars, and theives from the beginning , satan and his children has decieved the whole world.
money is the root of all evil, when you have an aboundance of wealth you can control the mouths of
even the law.
liars, and theives!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Curiouser and curiouser... Jumping to conclusions pretty quickly I would say. And trailers used in business but no one else knew? Sounds like this is "wrapped up" already; no need for any more investigation, folks!!
It wasn't his property! He planned to steal these trailers and was using them for his business...hummm How could your partner not know where they came from? Did he not realize he was not paying for them? Still alot of unanswered questions.
I'd say the headline should have read, "Altered Trailer Found Being Used in Weinberger Business."
There is more to this story and more people involved. It is amazing after 2-3 days anyone can determine he acted alone and that no one else was involved.
Hotfoot; Do you say the same thing, when other thieves are running rampant in certain areas of Augusta? No, you call them every name in the book, and can;t wait to put a slug in them, if they stole from you.''It was only property'', you are right, but it was not his property!Your statement proves, what some have known for years, if you are a certain race, you can, and do get away with murder!!! How can the sheirff, say the person that had other trailers on his property, will not be charged? What about ''RECIEVING STOLEN PROPERTY'',others have been arrested for the same thing.I guess he was a prominet, citizen just like Jay!!
I now understand why the AC woulnd'nt allow comments earlier.....you people are idiots
Obviously, you don't know my posts. I do NOT call anyone "every name in the book". What I abhor is people jumping to the worst possible conclusions until the investigation is complete. It hurts the family who is already hurting. And if you're implying that I would jump on this apparent crime if the alleged perpetrator were African-American, you're way off base. As the rightwingers on here will testify, I'm one of those bleeding heart liberals they love to bash. I DO NOT APPRECIATE it when people are judgmental without knowing the context. Period.
They don't stop comments on the common everyday thief...why stop them on him just because he is well know....sounds like a cover up to me...property is stolen and a man is dead....Are those trailers enough to kill yourself over. I think not....
Lots more going on here..... But we may never know cause he was "somebody".....Yea rite....
Wonder how long the chronicle will leave the comments section on? Quick readers, post away. If the chronicle has an ounce of credibility left, they won't censor this forum.
Hey Hotfoot, how does it feel to be called a racist just because you have a different viewpoint??
Still too many questions for this to be "wrapped up" in a few days.
I can't believe a stolen trailer was being used in the business and no one else had anything to do with it. If he wasn't stealing trailers to resell them for money for some other activity - why was he stealing them for the business if the business didn't need the $? None of this makes sense...
Liairs and theives will have thier part in the lake of fire.
Along with thier father , " SATAN!!"
Thy Kingdom Come......
I'm looking out the window for the flying pigs, HotFoot...this time, your comments are dead on.
Tigger, you need some help.
I am sure the family needs this to go away so they can grieve in peace but the police needs to resolve the matter or the doubts about the case and the business will always be there. You will look at any of their trailers/trucks/vans and wonder was it legal. Also why would a man with his statur and compassion just wake up one day to start stealing trailers. This is the hardest part; by all accounts the family has resources; those resources would make a few lousy trailer problems disappear not at the cost of his life. The family is probably not involved in this but someone else is. I would expect it more a good ol boy helping his friends with fradulent insurance claims; wonder what the trailers had in them or was supposed to have in them when they disappeared.
I'm not one to buy into the excuse game but obviously this guy had some kind of mental sickness clepto maybe b/c he could have bought all these trailers if he wanted to. And to those saying the business and brother knew do you really think they bothered I mean really if I bought a trailer it would be a big deal $$$. To this business and them probably didn't even show up on their radar.
Look at the pictures of the trailers and the printed value of them was $7,000 each. That's not petty cash.
Jsynapse, I'm just quoting scripture.
Read it for youself. Revelations. 2:9 / 3:9
Don't be blinded by these liars.
All will be reveled upon Christ return.
Who shall be able to stand? The elect is not who this world calls
Yahweh's , (God) elect.
Read it for yourself.
Of course the family needs this to go away... and it will if they show enough money.....If it were you or me it would not go away.
This man was into somethng way bigger than stealing trailers. I mean would you kill yourself over a stolen tralier.... Not....dead is dead!!!!!!!!!!
But we will never know....They will sweep it under the rug....
I know this family is hurting but why should they be treated any different than anyone else....He was into something!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Once again, the posters here are suffering from premature speculation.
His brother has everything to do with this. Has anyone checked the books at the business? Pam is the book keeper.
I agree with lulu if the family has nothing to do with this, open the books and interview each and every employee. They should WANT the police to do this.