(L -R) President Peter Perrien and SCRC President Danny Sheppard presenting the Heavy Equipment Award to James K.Schweitzer, Senior VP and COO of the NICB who accepted on behalf of the team of investigators.

The winners of this year’s Heavy Equipment Award investigated and successfully prosecuted one of the largest stolen heavy equipment cases in the Ohio Highway Patrol’s history.

The investigation began in September of 2012 when Cortland Police

Detective David Morris requested NICB assistance in the identification of three machines left abandoned at a job site. With the assistance of NICB, Detective Morris determined the machines were in fact stolen.

Detective Morris then contacted Trooper Mike Russell of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Vehicle Theft Unit and NICB SA Paskan requesting assistance with the interview of Robert Martin regarding thefts of heavy equipment in a multi-county area. Trooper Russell and SA Paskan interviewed Martin and determined that he had several properties where he was storing construction equipment. Martin was not forthcoming with the locations of these properties.

The investigators subsequently identified and contacted associates of Martin and landowners where Martin had performed construction and excavation work. This resulted in the identification of several possible locations where heavy equipment and commercial trailers were stored. The investigators then coordinated the use of the Highway Patrol’s aviation division to fly over the properties in a multi-county area verifying that additional heavy equipment was stored at these locations by Martin.

The investigators developed probable cause for search warrants for three separate properties in Mahoning and Columbiana Counties associated with Martin/Yukon Excavating. The search warrants were executed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Vehicle Theft Unit and Office of Investigative Services, Cortland Police Department, Goshen Township Police and NICB. An additional five consent searches of properties in the area were performed to gather additional pieces of stolen heavy equipment.

The case concluded with the defendant, Robert Martin, owner of Yukon Excavating entering a guilty plea in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court and being sentenced November 19th, 2013 to a 4 year prison term with an additional 3 year post release control. Martin was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $151,808.62.

This investigation facilitated the recovery of 42 pieces of stolen heavy equipment valued in excess of $2,000,000 dollars. Investigators gathered over 111 pieces of evidence in the investigation and conducted interviews of 17 witnesses and victims.

Much of the heavy equipment recovered had their manufacturers PIN and/or serial numbers removed or altered by Martin making them difficult to identify.

These investigators continue to excel in the recovery of heavy equipment and participate in the training of law enforcement officers statewide through outreach seminars conducted with the Ohio Auto Theft Investigators Association, North East Chapter of IAATI and the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy.

The investigators and their respective agencies are as follows:

• Detective David Morris, Cortland Police Department
• Lieutenant Mike Golic, Goshen Township Police Department
• Sergeant Michael Russell, Ohio State Highway Patrol Vehicle Theft & Fraud Unit
• Trooper Jack Reno, Ohio State Highway Patrol Vehicle Theft & Fraud Unit
• Trooper Larry Skaggs, Ohio State Highway Patrol Vehicle Theft & Fraud Unit
• Trooper Thomas Halligan, Ohio State Highway Patrol Vehicle Theft & Fraud Unit
• Sergeant Dennis Goodhart, Ohio State Highway Patrol Vehicle Theft & Fraud Unit (retired)
• Trooper Rick Sprague, Ohio State Highway Patrol Vehicle Theft & Fraud Unit
• Trooper Mike McCarthy, Ohio State Highway Patrol Vehicle Theft & Fraud Unit
• Special Agent John Paskan, National Insurance Crime Bureau – Midwest Region - Ohio