Police seize $1 million worth of stolen construction equipment – ​​NBC4 Washington

Investigators arrested a man last week in Oxon Hill, Maryland, where authorities foiled a costly theft of construction equipment.

Police said they found 13 stolen skid steer loaders, two excavators, numerous trailers and construction equipment.

“Some of our equipment was taken from Laurel City, Cecil County, Cecil County and even St. Mary’s County. Some we couldn’t match to anyone, so it’s hard to say how many victims there actually were,” said Captain Craig Winegardner of the Prince George’s County Police Department.

Prince George’s County Police arrested 38-year-old Brandyn Green and charged him with multiple counts of grand larceny.

“A lot of these construction companies would leave them at construction sites, and he would just drive to the sites in the middle of the night, pick them up and drive away with them,” Winegardner said. “A big truck with a big trailer loading construction equipment is not going to turn a lot of heads.”

Police said a previous case of stolen equipment in February led them to the 4400 block of Wheeler Road.

When new reports of stolen equipment came in, one of the investigators came up with the idea of ​​searching the area with a helicopter. As they took to the skies, they discovered the stolen equipment.

“It’s a vacant lot,” Winegardner said. “It’s an open lot with a wooded area, and they cut down some trees to make it more open. There’s no house, no buildings, nothing like that.”

Police believe Green sold the stolen equipment for several thousand dollars less than its actual value. An investigation is underway to determine whether he acted alone. Captain Winegardner said these crimes have a major impact on small businesses.

“They’re not big, wealthy construction companies. They don’t have that equipment and they can’t do the work,” Winegardner said. “They’re not going to get the contracts and they’re going to miss out on money. Their employees rely on those wages. If they don’t have that income, a lot of those employees aren’t going to get paid as well either.”

Police said the suspect could face additional charges in neighboring jurisdictions.

Prince George’s County police said they are still trying to locate some of the people whose belongings were stolen and are urging anyone who is missing items to contact them.