The Gordon County Sheriff’s Department shut down a chop shop and arrested members of a suspected crime ring that targeted four wheelers throughout the county.
Over the last two months, sheriff’s department officials say they have received several reports regarding thefts of four-wheel-all-terrain-vehicles from several neighborhoods county-wide.
The thefts had not been concentrated in any particular area. No video surveillance footage or eyewitnesses were available in these cases, leaving detectives little information to follow up on.
However, employing a different tactic, detectives consistently questioned a large number of people who were arrested on other charges about their knowledge, if any, of any such activity regularly. Some of these interviews resulted in the development of suspects in some of these thefts.
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Detectives gathered information about an address connected to the case as well. As most suspects with whom deputies regularly interact are inevitably on probation or parole, detectives paid a visit to a private residence on Michael Drive near Calhoun on Tuesday and conducted a probationary search.
During this search, officers found 22-year-old Tyler Stanley, who was being sought pursuant to warrants charging him with unrelated crimes. He was arrested without incident. The detectives also discovered two stolen ATVs, a motorcycle with an altered serial number, another ATV with an altered sserial number, and a stolen trailer.
According to the sheriff’s department, 35-year-old Robbie Dotson, and 33- year-old Linda Dotson, both of Calhoun were also arrested without incident. Stanley faces the following charges” 3 counts of Receiving Stolen Property, Operating a ‘Chop Shop’, Removing/Altering VIN Numbers, and Possession of Methamphetamine.
Robbie Dotson faces charges of 3 counts of Receiving Stolen Property, Operating a ‘Chop Shop’, Removing/Altering VIN Numbers, and Possession of Methamphetamine.
Linda Dotson, faces methamphetamine related charges. All 3 defendants were already serving sentences of probation for previous offenses, and are being held in the county jail.
A fourth defendant is being sought in connection with this case.