Someone broke into a place that exists to help people exactly like him.
Lavan Hickman, 38, was arrested for burglarizing the North Gwinnett Cooperative in Buford — a nonprofit food pantry and assistance center that’s been helping struggling families in the Gwinnett area for over 30 years.
The catch? Hickman was supposed to be on work release, getting a second chance while serving time for previous burglary convictions.
What He Targeted
The North Gwinnett Cooperative isn’t your typical business. Founded in 1991 by Sugar Hill United Methodist Church, it’s a ministry that provides food, clothing, financial assistance and spiritual support to people in need across Buford, Suwanee, and Sugar Hill.
This is the kind of place that keeps families fed when paychecks don’t stretch far enough. It runs entirely on donations from local churches, businesses, schools and volunteers who believe in helping their neighbors.
How It Happened
On August 19 around 6:30 a.m., surveillance cameras caught a man forcing his way through a window at the cooperative’s location on Commerce Drive. He stole several hundred dollars in cash — money that was meant to help families pay rent or buy groceries.
Investigators traced the crime back to Hickman, who had left Gwinnett County Correctional Institute on work release before the burglary. Work-release programs let inmates hold jobs during the day while serving their sentences, designed to help them rebuild their lives and stay connected to the community.
Instead, police say Hickman used that freedom to target a place dedicated to helping people in situations similar to his own.
The Bigger Picture
Hickman now faces two additional charges of burglary and criminal damage to property in the second degree. He was already serving time for burglary convictions from 2024.
For the North Gwinnett Cooperative, this represents more than just a financial loss. The organization operates on the biblical principle from Matthew 25: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Every dollar stolen was meant to help someone else get back on their feet.
⚠️ Reminder: Crime articles contain only charges and information from police reports and law enforcement statements. Suspects and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
