Suspect charged with receiving stolen property

OFF THE WIRE
A Taylor man has been charged with receiving over $20,000 in stolen property but it may be a moot point.

He's waiting to turn himself in for a federal prison sentence stemming from the case brought against members of the Highwaymen Motorcycle Club.

The local charges against Gerald “Pete” Baggett, 46, stem from the theft of two enclosed trailers from outside two Westland businesses in separate incidents.

The first theft occurred just before 2 a.m. on May 19 when a 16-foot trailer was stolen from Advanced
Underground Services, 38657 Webb Drive. The trailer was reported to contain speciality plumbing parts and equipment valued at over $25,000.

“The suspect vehicle was captured on surveillance video. A couple of weeks later, an employee spotted it on Beech Daly south of Van Born,” said Westland police Sgt. Dan Serrano. “It was easy to spot.”

The vehicle, a white 1998 GMC pick-up truck, was distinctive, Serrano said, thanks to an eight-foot bed, a hot rod hood and other customizing.

As police were obtaining search warrants and setting up surveillance at the home on Beech Daly, on June 27 a 14-foot trailer full of landscaping equipment was stolen from outside Skateland, 37550 Cherry Hill.

“An employee at Skateland had spotted a full-size white pick up truck with a hot rod hood in the parking lot around 1:30 a.m.,” said Serrano.

The landscaping business owner, a Canton resident who happened to be a retired police officer, went out looking for his stolen trailer and also spotted the distinctive white pick-up truck parked at a home on Beech Daly south of Van Born, Serrano said.

“There were two subjects standing around the truck and he (the victim) could see his equipment in the back of the truck,” said Serrano. “He (the victim) pulls in behind them and confronts them. The driver runs inside the house and locks the door.”

Taylor police arrived and took a 30-year old Taylor man into custody on charges of possessing stolen property, a prescription drug violation and warrants. The second man, later identified as Baggett, refused to open the door for Taylor police, Serrano said, and wasn't arrested until June 30 when Westland officers returned with search warrants.

In addition to searching the home, Serrano said a warrant was also executed for a tattoo parlor on Ecorse Road; it has an upstairs apartment and was the registered address for Baggett's pick-up truck.

Some of the smaller pieces of landscaping equipment were recovered, Serrano said, but a zero-turn lawn-mower and a walk-behind lawn mower valued at more than $8,000 were still missing.

Inside a shed at the home on Beech Daly, Serrano said police recovered specialized plumbing tools and parts identified as belonging to Advanced Underground Services.

Once Baggett had been arrested. Serrano said he learned Baggett has been sentenced to federal prison, the result of large-scale indictments against members of the Highwaymen Motorcycle Club. He is scheduled to report to begin his federal sentence next month.

While officers were executing the search warrant at the home on Beech Daly, Serrano said it was noticed that shelves in the laundry room had excessive quantities of Snyder brand pretzels and chips.

On June 13, a 14-foot enclosed trailer containing $3,300 in Snyder products had been reported stolen from the parking lot at Fairhaven Baptist Church, 34850 Marquette in Westland. Police confiscated the bags of snack foods. Serrano said none of the stolen trailers have been recovered.

Baggett was arraigned Saturday and is free on $50,000 cash/surety bond.


lrogers©hometownlife.com | (313) 222-5428

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20110707/NEWS03/107070482