GPS on Stolen Excavator Helps Police Uncover Chop Shop in Georgia

Gwinnett County PoliceA GPS tracker on a stolen excavator helped police in Norcross, Georgia, uncover a chop shop, $100,000 in stolen property and illicit drugs.

The discovery took place November 26 when Gwinnett County police responded to a report of a stolen mini excavator with a GPS tracker on it. Police tracked the signal to the residence of Larry Dobbs, 46, located at 846 Rockbridge Way in Norcross. The stolen mini excavator was visible from the street.

Along with it, police recovered two additional excavators, a stolen SUV, three vehicles with altered VINs, two stolen motorcycles, a trailer, Fentanyl and Oxycodone and a stolen handgun.

Neighbors told Fox 5 Atlanta they were “unaware of any illegal activity” and “scared” for their safety upon finding out about the arrest.

According to a post by Gwinnett County Police on X, Dobbs was charged with operating a chop shop, theft by taking, three counts of felony theft by receiving, misdemeanor theft by receiving, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, three counts of felony altered VIN, and possession of tools for the commission of a crime. 

Dobbs was taken to the Gwinnett County Jail.

[Related Content: To see how you can protect your equipment from thieves, check out this story: A Detective’s Perspective on Preventing Equipment Theft]