Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies made two arrests just south of Corbin Friday afternoon and have recovered over $185,000 worth of stolen heavy equipment, according to a Laurel County Sheriff’s Office release.
Sheriff’s Lt. Brett Reeves, Detective Gary Jordan and shift Sgt. Travis Napier arrested two individuals about 3:55 p.m. Friday off KY-26 about three miles south of Corbin. The arrests occurred while deputies were investigating several pieces of heavy equipment that were determined to have been stolen out-of-state and brought into the Laurel County area to be sold to a local business, the release stated.
Deputies arrested two people accompanying the stolen equipment, Dushon Sheperd, 34, of Southfield, Michigan, and Bria Parks, 23, of Washington, D.C., on Friday charging both with two counts of receiving stolen property $10,000 or more. Both were lodged in the Laurel County Correctional Center.
The investigation began on Aug. 13 when a 2018 D5 K caterpillar dozer was delivered to a local business, which was valued at $65,000. This piece of equipment was determined to have allegedly been stolen out of Fairfax, Virginia, and was investigated by police there. The seller provided fake identification when selling it in Laurel County.
Authorities were able to ping the vehicle in London while attempting to locate it and contacted the Laurel County Sheriff’s office to assist on the investigation here, the release noted.
On Aug. 29, Laurel County deputies set up an undercover operation contacting the suspect to provide two more pieces of heavy equipment. The suspect along with an accomplice brought two pieces of heavy equipment, a 259 skid steer valued at $47,000 and a 308 excavator valued at $73,000, the release stated.
While they were bringing the equipment to the South Laurel/Corbin area, they apparently became confused on the delivery location. Laurel County deputies observed the vehicle being driven toward Woodbine on KY-26 south of Corbin and conducted a traffic stop and an investigation on the two pieces of heavy equipment. Neither came back as being entered as stolen when their serial numbers were run.
“However, Laurel County deputies contacted Boyd Caterpillar company of Corbin, who assisted deputies on their investigation contacting companies out-of-state and were able to determine that both pieces of equipment had been stolen from Maryland,” the release noted.
Sheperd was booked into the Laurel County Correctional Center at 6:41 p.m. Friday and Parks was booked at 7:46 p.m. Friday, according to the correctional center’s website.
The pair are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday morning in Laurel District Court.
Other deputies assisting with the investigation included Laurel Sheriff’s Detective Tommy Houston, Detective Brad Mink, Deputy Zach Strong and Deputy Sidney Wagner. Also assisting were: Kentucky State Police Trooper Millard Root and Trooper Bristin Smith, who is assigned to commercial vehicle enforcement.
