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IRWINTON, Ga. -- A Wilkinson County businessman is accused of stealing a dozen vehicles worth about a half million dollars.
Officers say he stole cars, trailers, pickups, a semi truck and even the three tow trucks he used in his wrecker service along with several pieces of equipment.
"Everything in it was stolen, except the dirt on the floor," says Captain Brad King of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office.
Tracy Ford, from McIntyre, runs two businesses: Ford's Recovery and Body Shop and Hooker's Recovery, with locations in both McIntyre and Milledgeville.
Thursday night, officers seized 12 stolen vehicles - 10 from his Milledgeville business and two from his home.
"He was operating his business with stolen wreckers," King said.
King said Ford was able to fly under the radar since he deals mostly with repossessions and is not on the Sheriff's Department's rotation for services to use.
The tip came from the Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office when they asked Baldwin County to help with their investigation.
"They actually recovered a stolen vehicle from him that a family member of his was driving," King said.
And the investigation led to much more than expected.
The majority of property was from the Atlanta metropolitan area. The semi truck alone is worth $100,000 and total value of all thefts is estimated at about $500,000.
"Given what we've found so far, it leads me to believe they will probably recover some more," King says.
The Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation.
Right now, Ford faces at least 12 counts of felony theft by receiving stolen property.
IRWINTON, Ga. -- A Wilkinson County businessman is accused of stealing a dozen vehicles worth about a half million dollars.
Officers say he stole cars, trailers, pickups, a semi truck and even the three tow trucks he used in his wrecker service along with several pieces of equipment.
"Everything in it was stolen, except the dirt on the floor," says Captain Brad King of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office.
Tracy Ford, from McIntyre, runs two businesses: Ford's Recovery and Body Shop and Hooker's Recovery, with locations in both McIntyre and Milledgeville.
Thursday night, officers seized 12 stolen vehicles - 10 from his Milledgeville business and two from his home.
"He was operating his business with stolen wreckers," King said.
King said Ford was able to fly under the radar since he deals mostly with repossessions and is not on the Sheriff's Department's rotation for services to use.
The tip came from the Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office when they asked Baldwin County to help with their investigation.
"They actually recovered a stolen vehicle from him that a family member of his was driving," King said.
And the investigation led to much more than expected.
The majority of property was from the Atlanta metropolitan area. The semi truck alone is worth $100,000 and total value of all thefts is estimated at about $500,000.
"Given what we've found so far, it leads me to believe they will probably recover some more," King says.
The Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office is continuing its investigation.
Right now, Ford faces at least 12 counts of felony theft by receiving stolen property.
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