NORCROSS, Ga. — A stolen excavator led police to an illegal chop shop operation in Gwinnett County.
On Tuesday, Nov. 26, police responded to an owner reporting that his mini excavator had been stolen, but it had a GPS tracker on it.
The excavator was tracked to 846 Rockbridge Way, where it could be seen from the street. After obtaining a search warrant, officers searched the premises, where they found over $100,000 in illegal property, guns and drugs.
Authorities recovered two excavators, a stolen SUV, three vehicles with altered VINs, two stolen motorcycles, a trailer, fentanyl and oxycodone and a stolen handgun at the property.
Gwinnett Police arrested a 46-year-old man from Norcross. He is charged with operating a chop shop, theft by taking, felony theft by receiving three times, misdemeanor theft by receiving, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance two times, three counts of felony altered VIN, and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.
He was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail.
