Smith County — A Smith County man was arrested for felony theft after 10 pieces of stolen equipment were found on his property.
Kenneth Cossey Brantley, 49, was arrested on Feb. 27 for theft of property, over $150,000 but less than $300,000, which is a second-degree felony.
One missing piece of equipment with a GPS tracker led the Smith County Sheriff’s Office to the rest, according to arrest warrant affidavit.
The GPS tracker on a 2003 Melrise Bobcat Skidsteer Loader pinged on Brantley’s property off County Road 26 in Smith County in early December 2017.
Brantley told a Smith County deputy that two men had dropped off the Skidsteer in the morning and it was slated to be sold.
Brantely then allowed the deputy onto the property, where stolen tractors, trailers, ATVs, and another Skidsteer were found, according to the arrest affidavit.
He told the deputy that he’d paid under market value for the items. He was allowed to use the property as he wished until they were disposed of, and he was aware that they were most likely stolen, the affidavit reads.
