Authorities Bust Power Tool Theft Ring

WISE COUNTY — A power tool theft ring with links to East Texas is busted, and more than a dozen people are arrested. Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin says late last year and early this year, three hardware stores south of Decatur were burglarized — and his investigators were able to track down the bad guys. Akin says, “They were able to connect a group of folks in East Dallas to burglaries all over North Texas.” And those places included Marshall and Tyler. Wise County sheriff’s deputies teamed up with Mesquite police and DPS in raiding a warehouse where they had stored all that equipment. Akin continues, “They were selling that on social media.” In all, they seized more than $100,000 worth of stolen power tools. Ten people are now in jail, and four more have been turned over to ICE. Akin says one store was able to recover $40,000 in stolen equipment.