According to the Boone County Sheriff's Office, Stephen McCarty, 46, admitted to being involved in the thefts, which totaled about $40,000 in equipment. Included in the recovered items were a camper, John Deere Gator, a number of trailers and an all-terrain vehicle.
The arrest came after Detective Tim Adams put out a description of a vehicle suspected to be involved in the thefts. Tim Lowe, a police officer with the town of Florence, spotted the vehicle near a storage facility in the early morning hours on April 28.
Word eventually got back to Adams, who got a search warrant for a storage unit. There he found one of the stolen trailers, and found the camper at another storage facility. While there, he encountered McCarty, who admitted to the crimes and led inspectors to where the Gator was being kept. McCarty was charged with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
Farm equipment and used tractor owners who want to avoid having their machines stolen can take a number of steps. Along with securing them properly in a storage facility, people may consider removing batteries or ignition switches when machines are not being used.
