Four individuals have been arrested in connection with a theft ring in Shelby County, according to Shelby County Sheriff Kevin W. Windham. The arrests followed a response to a call on Monday, April 8, at 8:30 am, in the 7000 block of Highway 7 West in Center. Investigators and deputies from the SCSO arrived at the scene, recognizing the property as a hotspot for drugs and stolen goods. With a search warrant in hand, they spent over 34 hours combing through the area and recovered over $150,000 worth of stolen property.
The recovered items include a skid steer stolen from Houston, a bumper pull RV from Beaumont, a commercial power washer on a 16-foot trailer from Center, two trucks taken from Nacogdoches, a car hauler trailer stolen from U-Haul, two portable toilets taken from Carthage, three welding machines, numerous chainsaws, generators, thousands of dollars worth of tools, five AR rifles, and multiple other firearms. Officials also found several trucks with altered VINs and removed them from the property. The Center Police Department identified additional items stolen from their city, and narcotics were also discovered at the residence.
The individuals arrested are
- Ricardo Rodriguez of Center, facing charges of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (F-1) and Possession of a Controlled Substance (F-2);
- Armando Huerta of Center, facing the same charges;
- Jonathan Vicente of Center, charged with Violation of Bond/Protective Order;
- Marlana Poole, facing charges of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity (F-1), Possession of a Controlled Substance (F-2), and Violation of Parole related to Manufacturing or Delivery of a Controlled Substance (F-1).
The SCSO expressed gratitude to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office and Jason Burch of Hughes Wrecker for their assistance during the operation.
