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State investigators say more than $230,000-worth of heavy construction equipment stolen nine months ago has been discovered at the home of a Springville man.
John E. Webb, 37, was expected to be arrested late Thursday or on Friday, said state officials. Felony charges for theft, theft by deception and removing vehicle identification numbers are pending.
During an investigation into unlicensed sales of heavy equipment, investigators with the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division of the Utah State Tax Commission received a tip about Webb allegedly trying to sell a $165,000 road grader and a $70,000 loader. Webb was allegedly offering both for "nickels on the dollar" according to investigators.
Investigators have been in contact with Webb and his attorneys and his arrest was imminent on Thursday afternoon, said Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division. Webb is believed to have acted alone.
The loader had been parked at South Towne Center mall in Sandy when it was stolen between 15-minute security checks, Roberts said. The loader was being used for snow removal at the mall when it was stolen last fall.
"It was there, then it was gone," Roberts said.
The road grader was stolen from a residence in Salt Lake City and then repainted yellow. Webb allegedly used a file to remove the VIN numbers from both vehicles and then welded his name onto them.
Interestingly, a third piece of equipment, another road grader, which was being leased by the same Draper company that owned the loader, Kimball Property Maintenance, was stolen around the same time, and only blocks away. That grader was discovered a few weeks ago at the U.S. border just before being sent to Tijuana, said state officials and owners. Webb does not appear to be connected to that case.
While stealing heavy construction equipment is difficult, "unfortunately, it's on the rise," Roberts said. "It happens way too often."
Nate Bullock of Kimball Property Maintenance said the theft had happened so long ago that "we thought for sure it was gone, but it is great to have it back."
Bullock said the company had already been reimbursed by its insurance for the stolen loader and the loader now belongs to the insurance company.
He said "it was a scramble" to find another loader of that size to do the work last fall, and said the company is now looking to install GPS locators on all its equipment so they can be quickly recovered in the event of future thefts. |
