$100,000 in stolen property discovered during domestic violence check
Published 10:30 am Saturday, February 7, 2015
While responding to a domestic violence report on Monday, the Cullman County, Alabama Sheriff’s deputies discovered nearly $100,000 worth of property that was stolen in a recent string of thefts in the Cold Springs and Bremen area.
According to Sheriff Matt Gentry, deputies discovered property consistent with recent theft reports upon arriving on the scene on County Road 64.
“After discovering the property, investigators were called to the scene,” he said. “We’ve cleared about seven burglaries in the area because of this finding.”
Two men were arrested from the residence — 33-year-old Anthony Chawn Stewart and 44-year-old Jamie Heath Woods.
Gentry said $100,000 was a conservative estimate for the recovered property, which included seven trailers, two tractors, an industrial compactor, a large generator, a four wheeler and $4,700 in industrial insulation.
The sheriff’s office has matched the majority of the property with victims, and it is no longer searching for owners.
Along with third-degree domestic violence charges, Stewart faces five counts of first-degree theft of property, as well as two counts of second-degree theft of property. His bond is set at $101,500.
Woods is charged with one count of first-degree theft of property, one count of receiving stolen property and two counts of second-degree theft of property. His bond is set at $70,000.
“I want to commend the actions of the deputies that arrived on scene and the investigators that came afterward,” Gentry said. “They recognized the magnitude of the property stolen and took a proactive approach to the crime.”
The sheriff’s office is currently investigating a larger ring of thefts in the southwest portion of Cullman County.
“The week prior to these arrests we worked with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, and arrested 10 people for theft,” Gentry said.
Zach Winslett writes for the Cullman (Ala.) Times.