Arrests have been made in a farm and lawn equipment theft ring with cases going back to early 2011 in multiple eastern Carolina counties.
William Johnson and Clinton Dawson both from Plymouth, are charged with 216 felony counts of theft between them. Michael Hill of Windsor, Leon Davis of Dunn, and Timothy Hankins of Garner have 100 felony counts between them in the case.
During the nearly two-year investigation involving 19 eastern North Carolina counties, law enforcement agencies and the DMV, police say they discovered over $1-million in equipment was stolen. A little over half that in value has been recovered.
Thefts and recoveries in the case occurred in Chowan, Pitt, Martin, Washington, Beaufort, Greene, Craven, Brunswick, Wake, Harnett, Lenoir, Nash, Duplin and Wilson counties; recoveries of stolen equipment occurred as far away as Mecklenburg County.
The investigation is ongoing.
