GPS Tracking for Stolen Appliances

In Cordova, criminal activity in vacant homes was becoming a big problem; namely, appliance theft. In order to curtail the problem, investigators made the decision to place a GPS tracking device inside a stove. As a result of this tactic, one man was charged with three separate thefts.

Detectives from the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office outfitted the GPS tracking devices inside a stove that was in a home located in the 10000 block of Woodlands Hills. The department received a notification from that the stove was moved on August 30, 2015.

Thanks to the GPS tracking device, the detectives were able to determine the location of the stove, which was in the 2500 block of Overton Crossing. The stolen appliance was found in an appliance store.

The investigators working on the case contacted the owner of the appliance store, who told them that a man driving a maroon minivan had contacted him and inquired about selling two stoves for him earlier in the day. The arrest affidavit found that the suspect returned later that day, trying to sell a refrigerator. When the detectives arrived at the store, the found that all three items – the two stoves and the refrigerator – were all there, and they were all stolen from homes in Cordova.

The owner of the appliance store provided the detectives with the phone number for the suspect. The owner of that phone number was identified as Eric Heard and the owner of the business confirmed that it was Heard who sold him the stolen goods.

After finding the stolen goods and identifying the thief, the 45-year-old was placed under arrest. Eric Heard has been charged with three counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of theft of property that values between $1,000 and $10,000 and one count of theft of property that valued more than $500.

Currently, Heard is being held on a $50,000 bond.

This case proves that GPS tracking devices are useful for much more than just tracking animals, fleet vehicles,  and the elderly; they are also beneficial for locating stolen goods and putting an end to criminal activity. Thanks to this technology, there is hope to put an end to the theft of any type of valuable property.

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