The suspected ring leader in a trailer theft operation has been busted.For almost two months police say Michael Eugene Patterson Senior, 45, has been stealing trailers and cars.
Only on FOX23, Abbie Alford explains the multi-county investigation.
Police working in the Tulsa Police Riverside Division and burglary, auto theft and officers with the Special Investigations Division as well as law enforcement in surrounding counties say this investigation spreads from Creek, Mayes and Tulsa Counties along with the city of Tulsa.
It’s a theft ring worth $200,000 that has been taken down.
FOX23 cameras were rolling as Storey Wrecker hauled off one of the ten or so stolen trailers from 75th East Avenue and Pine Street.
It’s an area police believe where the theft operation started.
"This is probably what we call the hub of the operation. It's kinds of a storage facility fore them before they were taken to different places and gotten rid of," says Tulsa Police Corporal Larry Mark.
At that location police say they found eight to ten trailers and a few stolen vehicles which also led them to Patterson.
He’s an ex-convict who’s served time for theft and drug charges.
Police believe this trailer theft ring could be involved in more counties and more suspects are responsible for the $200,000 operation.
Now they just need to find the owners of the trailers.
“We are still going through the process of trying to identify the trailer themselves and that's the hard part on this because it looks like your trailer and unless you have the numbers to prove that it is your trial it hard for us to put those two together," says Mark.
Police say if there is no serial number on the trailer or the owner doesn’t have a serial number it will be tougher to return the trailers to the rightful owners.
Release from TPD October 6th, 2010-On October 5, 2010 Tulsa Police Department Riverside Investigators working in conjunction with Burglary, SID, Auto Theft, and officers from all three uniform divisions along with deputies from Creek County and Tulsa County served three search warrants for stolen trailers. This was the result of a three month investigation into a trailer theft ring working the Tulsa area. As a result of the warrants, over a dozen trailers ranging in value from $500 to $20,000 were recovered. Other stolen property recovered include two pieces of heavy equipment, a motorcycle, a stolen jeep and multiple stolen guns. The total value of property recovered is expected to be well in excess of $150,000. One arrest has been made at this time and additional arrests are expected. Michael Patterson was arrested and booked into the Creek County Jail.
