The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is requesting residents’ help in identifying two suspects who reportedly stole an $18,000 piece of equipment from a north Forsyth hardware store.
On June 1 around 4:45 p.m., an adult male and an adult female allegedly used a stolen identity to pick up a Kubota utility vehicle from Mason Tractor and Equipment Co., which is located on Dahlonega Highway (Hwy. 9), according to an incident report.
The theft was not reported until June 8, however, when a South Carolina woman called the sheriff’s office saying her identity had been stolen and used to buy something at the store, the report said.
“While at [Mason Tractor], it was found that the Kubota Finance Department had already caught the fraudulent act and cancelled the transaction,” the report said. “But by that time, it was too late and [the manager] stated that the people had already picked up the Kubota UTV.
“[The manager] said he did not think anything of it because the application and all the paperwork was done online, which is not uncommon.”
Videos and photos taken by the store’s surveillance cameras show a white male and female arriving at the store in a red Nissan Frontier, which was pulling a tractor, the report said.
“They exited the vehicle and walked inside the store, where the female made contact with a salesperson,” the report said. “After a few minutes, they exited the store and pulled the truck and trailer down to the end of the building. Once there, the male got out of the truck and let the ramps down on the trailer and watched the salesman load the UTV.
“He then strapped the UTV down and left the parking lot traveling south on Dahlonega Highway.”
Those with information are asked to call the sheriff’s office non-emergency line at (770) 781-3087.