Ecorse Resident Accused of Illegal Equipment Sale
A man from Ecorse, a quaint little city in Wayne County, Michigan, has been arrested and accused of a rather unusual crime. Jonathan Allen, aged 33, is facing allegations of stealing rental equipment from Home Depot and subsequently selling them off.
Recently arraigned before Magistrate Steven R. Worpell in the 80th District Court, Allen is facing a pretty serious list of felonies. He’s been slapped with one count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, that carries a possible 20-year prison sentence, and three counts of False Pretenses, each of which involves sums between $20,000 and $50,000.
The crux of the situation is this – Jonathan Allen reportedly sold multiple pieces of heavy equipment like backhoes, excavators, and lifts to a man living in the small town of Harrison in mid-Michigan. The sales happened in June and July of last year and were apparently conducted via the ever-popular online platform, Facebook Marketplace.
What’s more, Allen purportedly explained to the buyer that the equipment had belonged to a recently deceased relative. However, it turns out that they were actually rented items from several Home Depot locations in Taylor, Farmington Hills, and Utica – equipment that was never returned to these outlets.
The value of the equipment, which was reportedly sold for $23,000, tops a whopping $70,000. Thankfully, all stolen items have since been recovered.
Commenting on the whole scenario without revealing identities, a law enforcement officer said, “This scheme not only victimized who was conned out of thousands of dollars but also disrupted business operations and impacted countless customers who rely on these tools for their projects.” Unnamed officials stated that organized retail crimes such as these will be pursued aggressively.
As things stand, Jonathan Allen’s case is slated for another court appearance on August 19.
