Friday, September 21, 2001
Friday, September 21, 2001 |
|
Stolen tractor scam leads to racketeering charges By JOHN
MUNFORD
Participants in a scam to sell stolen tractors at a motorcycle shop in Fayette County are facing felony racketeering charges as the list of recovered John Deere equipment continues to pile up. One of the suspects, Larry F. Whitaker of Griffin, is already in custody with a $1.5 million bond. Racketeering warrants have also been filed against Lewis Gilbert Shirley, 56, of Fayetteville; Steven Richardson, age unknown, of Hampton; Kenneth J. Green, 32, of Griffin and Bobby Leon Green, 34, of Atlanta. None of these men were in custody as of Thursday morning. According to the warrants, the Greens are accused of arranging the theft of the equipment, mostly tractors and utility vehicles. Shirley and Richardson are accused of selling some of the equipment; Shirley would operate out of American Twin Motorcycles on Ga. Highway 85 North while Richardson sold his from Henry County. The stolen equipment carried a value of $1.5 million, according to law enforcement officials. Maj. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said the equipment was usually sold at half off the retail price. The equipment was stolen from John Deere dealerships across the southeast, usually with three pieces of equipment taken each time, Jordan said. The equipment made its way to Fayette in covered moving vans, Jordan added. One of the persons caught with a tractor, Roy Boyer, owner of the Speedi Pig restaurant, was charged with obstruction of a police officer for attempting to hide the machine from officers. Warrants indicate that other Fayette residents purchased the tractors from Shirley, including Ralph Padavano, Robert Newburn and Gary Lee Wright. None of those men face criminal charges, however. So far, 23 pieces of equipment have been recovered, most of which was found in Fayette County, Jordan said. Authorities have seized the contents of Kenneth J. Green's home in Griffin, which was owned by another person, Jordan said.
|