Three-state ATV theft ring busted

Seven out of a possible 22 suspects accused of participation in an All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) theft ring in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma have been arrested on charges of organized criminal activity. TSCRA Special Rangers and local law enforcement authorities have recovered 14 stolen ATVs so far, with more possible. TSCRA Special Ranger Toney Hurley and Sulphur Springs Police Department Sgt. Bo Fox are leading the investigation with assistance from TSCRA Special Rangers Troy McKinney, Wayne Goodman and additional law enforcement departments in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
Seven suspects believed to be involved in the theft ring were arrested from Jan. 6 – Jan. 29: Joshua Christopher Terry, 35, of Kemp; Laronda Kay Reed, 30, of Kemp, Texas; Darrell Wayne Waites, Jr., 35, of Deville, La.; James Lindy Minter, 38, of Kemp, Texas; Ricardo Saldivar, 35, of Combine, Texas; Brian Wheeler, 42, of Balch Springs, Texas; and David Paul Rockwell, 35, of Terrell, Texas.
Multiple ATV units were reported stolen on Nov. 23, 2015, from Nor-Tex Tractor in Sulphur Springs, Texas. An investigation revealed the Nor-Tex theft was linked to other ATV thefts reported on April 23, 2015, in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.
So far, 6 ATV units worth a total of approximately $74,000 have been recovered from the Nor-Tex theft and an additional 8 units have been recovered from the April 2015 thefts. The ATVs were recovered in Kemp, Texas; Seagoville, Texas; Terell, Texas; Dallas, Texas; Balch Springs, Texas; Scurry, Texas; River Oaks, Texas; Sulphur Springs, Texas; and Deville, La.
This is an ongoing investigation and additional arrests are expected. Authorities are continually receiving information from multiple jurisdictions on related criminal activities as far as eastern Tennessee.
TSCRA would like to thank the following law enforcement agencies for their continued hard work and diligence during this investigation: Hopkins County TX Sheriff’s Office, Kaufman County TX Sheriff’s Office, Forney TX Police Dept., Dallas TX Police Dept., Seagoville TX Police Dept., Mesquite TX Police Dept., River Oaks TX Police Dept., Lindale TX Police Dept., Longview TX Police Dept., Athens TX Police Dept., Maybank TX Police Dept., Texas Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) – Criminal Investigations Dept., TxDPS Texas Rangers, Tuttle OK Police Dept., Bryan County OK Sheriff’s Office, Muskogee OK Police Dept., Bossier Parish LA Police Dept, Bossier City LA Police Dept., Rapides Parish LA Sheriff’s Office and Vernon Parish LA Sheriff’s Office.
“This case provides a great example of TSCRA Special Rangers working in conjunction with multiple other law enforcement agencies to stop widespread criminal activity and make sure thieves are held accountable for their actions,” said Hurley. “This type of theft case can negatively impact ranchers who rely on using equipment, such as ATVs, to perform their daily operations. This is why TSCRA Special Rangers investigate more than livestock theft.”