Four arrested after $50K in stolen property located

By: Donna Swicegood | Mooresville Tribune
Published: November 20, 2009

Stolen property worth thousands of dollars was recovered and four people are facing charges.

Gavin Franklin Boyd, 18, Kevin Michael Mehan, 19, and Shane Michael Smiley, 19, all of Mooresville and Garrett Collins Parker, 19, of Davidson were arrested, and face multiple breaking and entering and larceny charges.

"This started out as a small case, but escalated into the recovery of more than $50,000 worth of stolen property," Iredell County Sheriff Phil Redmond said.

Deputies from the Iredell County Sheriff's Office went to the River Park Apartment complex on N.C. Highway 150 early Wednesday morning to investigate a report of stolen property.

Redmond said they found two motorcycles and a utility trailer, all of which were reported stolen.

Redmond said the deputies realized the number of stolen items was extensive and called in detectives to help investigate.

During the investigation, power tools and numerous other items were found in an apartment in the complex.

Boyd and Smiley lived in the complex, and they, along with Parker and Mehan, were taken into custody.

Detectives found more stolen property in a vacant apartment in the complex, Redmond said.

The property is believed to have been taken during the course of several business break-ins and one residence along the N.C. Highway 150 area in Iredell County as well as from vehicles in Cornelius, Mooresville and possibly Lincoln County.

The utility trailer was reported missing from inside the Statesville city limits.

Lt. Andy Poteat said the quartet has been tied to between 20 and 30 vehicle break-ins, mostly in the Cornelius area.

Poteat said evidence indicates they sought out unlocked vehicles with items in plain view, but targeted the businesses they believed would be easy to enter.

Capt. Darren Campbell said Detective Sgts. Gina Cranford and Jared Wingler are still working the case and expect to make at least one more arrest.

The four were charged as follows:

Boyd — one count each of breaking and entering a motor vehicle and larceny and three counts of possession of stolen property.

Mehan — six counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, three counts of breaking and entering a storage trailer, six counts of larceny and three counts of possession of stolen property.

Parker — three counts of possession of stolen property.

Smiley — three counts of breaking and entering, five counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle and five counts of larceny.

They also face charges in other jurisdictions.