From WATE: Three people have been charged with theft after cattle and a tractor were taken from McMinn County and surrounding areas, according to
From WATE: Three people have been charged with theft after cattle and a tractor were taken from McMinn County and surrounding areas, according to the McMinn County Sherriff’s Office.
On October 10, the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a stolen Kubota tractor from County Road 446 in Englewood, TN.
Detectives found the tractor in Bristol, TN, and recovered it a few days later in Hiwassee, Georgia. Detective Amber Cook located the suspect in Georgia and returned the Kubota tractor to its owner.Gary Hill, from Monroe County, was a suspect in this case according to McMinn County Sheriff’s Office.
On December 3, the McMinn County Deputies received a report stating that five cattle were stolen from County Road 419 in Englewood, the sheriff’s office reported. Pictures of the suspect’s vehicle(s) and cattle trailer were obtained and shared on social media for public assistance.
During the investigation, authorities identified Hill andThomas ‘Dewayne’ Pressley of Meigs County as an additional suspect in the cattle theft, MCSO said.
“Our detectives, along with State Agriculture Crimes investigator Clint Brookshire, found that Dewayne Pressley andDonna Vaughn were directly involved in the theft along with Gary Hill,” said Sheriff Joe Guy.
The stolen cattle were found in Lincoln County and later returned to their owner by investigators. The case was extensively worked on by McMinn County Sheriff’s Deputies, Sweetwater Police, and Agent Brookshire over the course of several days.
On December 6, Pressley and Vaughn were arrested in the Rural King parking lot in Sweetwater, the sheriff’s office said.
On December 7, Corporal Caleb Latham negotiated a peaceful surrender with Hill. Hill was safely taken into custody and transported to the McMinn County Sheriff’s Department, where he is being held on the charge of theft over the amount of $5,000, as well as charges from other law enforcement investigations in Athens, Monroe County, Loudon County, and Blount County.
McMinn County Sherriff’s Office said they are also holding charges against Pressley and Vaughn for theft over $5,000 in relation to the cattle theft.
“The officers from different agencies working together brought a timely resolution to these cases,” added Guy. “I commend Detective Amber Cook for her leadership in pursuing the offenders.”
