The Brief
- Deputies say an unrelated call led them to discover a months-long chop shop operation at a home on Clarke Street in Wildwood.
- Investigators found stolen golf carts, a UTV and thousands of dollars in professional tools outside a travel trailer where a man was squatting.
- The suspect faces multiple charges, and deputies say more could be coming as they track down additional victims.
SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – What started as a routine, unrelated call turned into what deputies describe as a full-blown chop-shop operation.
What we know:
According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a home on Clarke Street and discovered what they believe was a months-long theft operation tied to stolen golf carts and equipment across the county.
Investigators say outside a travel trailer where 40-year-old Joshua Harrell had been squatting, they found multiple stolen golf carts, a UTV and thousands of dollars in professional-grade tools.
Deputies say some of those tools were stolen from the Waterfront Inn. In November, a $5,000 motor was also taken from a brand-new golf cart near Sumter Landing.…