More than 10,000 of pieces of construction equipment and tools are up for auction in Howard County, Maryland, this weekend after what police have called “one of the largest and most expansive theft cases in the region in recent years.”
Jose Aceves, 52, of Jessup, Maryland, faces one count of felony theft scheme, according to Howard County police who formally announced an arrest in the case last week.
Earlier this year, around 18,600 tools were recovered across Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, police said. The stolen equipment was valued valued between $3 million and $5 million.
Police said 155 victims were identified and property was returned to the rightful owners.
The thousands of pieces of construction equipment and tools remaining will be sold at auction in West Friendship, Maryland, on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 9 a.m.
Police told WTOP on Tuesday the investigation into the scheme continues, and no other suspects have been charged.
How police found +18,000 stolen tools
The alleged scheme began to unravel in January, when a victim from Virginia had equipment stolen that contained a tracking device inside of it. That device led police to a storage unit in Elkridge, Maryland.
Police said officers were able to execute search warrants on a dozen locations, 11 of which were in Howard County, to recover thousands of pieces of equipment.
Update to the stolen construction tools case: #HoCoPolice recovered 18,600 stolen tools and identified 155 victims. Jose Aceves, 52, of Jessup, was indicted on a count of felony theft scheme. The remaining tools will be sold at auction Nov. 16: https://t.co/YVbySFqV8C pic.twitter.com/pfFVGmVF5z
— Howard County Police Department (@HCPDNews) November 7, 2024
The tools were stolen from retail stores, businesses, vehicles, residential properties and construction sites, investigators said.
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