Happy Ending for the Police-Seizure-lovin'-crowd on the PT

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Detectives in Cecil County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland used one of the agency’s two recently purchased drones to locate nearly $400,000 in stolen construction equipment stashed behind a barn on an Elkton-area property, police reported last week.

This was the first official CCSO drone mission since six agency deputies and Sheriff Scott Adams earned their FAA licenses to fly the small unmanned aircraft systems after purchasing the units with seized funds, passing a written exam and receiving practical flight training earlier this year.

Police in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been investigating a construction equipment theft ring. The drone surveillance led to the arrest of one suspect, an Elkton resident, whom investigators have declined to identify because of the ongoing probe. More arrests are expected, police said.

An estimated 19 pieces of equipment had been stolen from construction sites in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania over several including excavators, augers, backhoes, trailers, stump grinders, chippers, bulldozers and at least one car hauler, valued at approximately $394,000.

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Cecil County investigators went to the Barksdale property, but, from the ground, they were unable to establish probable cause to search.“It’s very large piece of property. From the road, we couldn’t see anything,” Holmes said.

Adams piloted the drone above the periphery of the suspect property on March 9 and using the drone’s camera was able to videotaped the stolen construction equipment behind a barn. The video led to a court ordered search of the property and residence.

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