Several charged in theft case

A number of arrests were made in a case of stolen property on Atway Road August 5, according to sheriff Kenny Dickerson.

“It was a huge theft with many very valuable items taken from a farm,” Dickerson said.

Investigators worked the Sunday when the report was made, and then continued to work the case through Sunday, August 12.

Numerous people were identified as suspects as the investigators continued to locate items and as of Monday, all but three items had been recovered and four people were in jail with charges in the case, the sheriff said.

Specific items taken from the farm included two side-by-side, four-wheel ATVs, a riding lawn mower, a handgun and two long guns taken from a farm truck after the window was broken out, a pole chain saw (Stihl), a generator, weed-eaters, and a trailer used to haul the stolen property away.

Also recovered were several U-Haul-type trailers stolen from West Memphis, Ark. The trailers have been returned.

These U-Haul-type trailers and the trailer used in hauling the stolen items from the farm at Atway were recovered at a residence of one of the suspects in Holly Springs, Dickerson said.

Some of the property was located Sunday afternoon, Aug. 12, at a suspect’s home on High­way 7.

Dickerson said he got a tip one of the suspects was in a tool shed behind the house. He and a deputy found the suspect smoking marijuana in the shed and other drug paraphernalia at the location.

Robert Landon Thomas, 37, of the 100 block of School Street, Rossville, Tenn.,  was arrested and charged with grand larceny. His bond was set at $25,000, Dickerson said.

Several other suspects were arrested based upon a tip received early last week. Dickerson said the tip was a great help in solving the case, along with many long hours worked by investigators and himself.

All stolen items except a pole saw and two weed-eaters had been recovered as of Monday. These items had been sold at about one-tenth their value and a suspect will be charged with receiving stolen property, he said.

Other arrests in this case, the sheriff said, included:

• Abraham Robert Hernandez, 31, of the 2300 block of Deer Creek Road, Byhalia, charged with grand larceny.

• William Johnathan Downs, 29, of the 300 block of East Valley Avenue, Holly Springs, charged with accessory after the fact of grand larceny, with bond set at $25,000.

• Keifer Lanier Bolden, 27, of the 4200 block of Highway 7 North, Holly Springs, charged with grand larceny and bond set at $50,000.

• a fifth suspect has been identified and a warrant issued for his arrest. The suspect will be charged with receiving stolen property. He was out on bonds from Marshall, Union and Benton counties. Dickerson said his office will seek to have the three previous bonds re­voked.

Dickerson had high praise for the long, hard work of his investigators led by Maj. Kelly McMillen.

“Their work was above and beyond the regular call of duty and they worked into the nights last week to recover the stolen items,” the sheriff said

“We never quit until we got to where we are today.”