More than a dozen people are facing charges for their alleged involvement in a theft ring in Georgia.
Gordon County officials launched their investigation in August following a report of a burglary at a turf manufacturing farm on Pine Chapel Road in which an ATV and a gun were stolen.
According to a statement released by the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office, officers “developed and followed several leads, including multiple interviews and covert surveillance” as part of the investigation.
Three months later, detectives tracked a box truck that had been reported stolen in Calhoun and arrested the driver and passenger for receiving stolen property and an unrelated charge of shoplifting.
As the investigation continued, detectives obtained a search warrant for the Pine Chapel Road location, where they discovered stolen lawn maintenance equipment and arrested two more people for receiving stolen property and other charges.
Upon further inquiry and interviews with witnesses in neighboring counties, several others were arrested.
“Detectives recovered an expensive stolen firearm at the home of a third party,” the statement continued. “A consensual search at a residence in Murray County yielded additional stolen property, i.e., a ‘zero-turn lawnmower which had been reported stolen in early November. This item was recovered and returned to the owner as well.”
Other property that was found during the investigation included a stolen gun, meth, and more.
“Detectives executed a search warrant at a private home on Iracil Lane and recovered additional stolen goods and methamphetamine. One person was arrested there,” the statement read. “During the execution of this warrant, information was developed therein which led them to a private residence on US Highway 41 North where more persons were arrested, and another stolen ‘zero turn’ lawnmower was recovered.”
In total, 13 people, ranging in age from 25 to 54, were arrested. The amount recovered in stolen property was valued at over $55k, according to officials.
