GENEVA, Ala. — A man with ties to a national theft operation involving stolen heavy machinery has been arrested in Geneva, Alabama, according to local police.
Willy Tandongfor was arrested on Wednesday after officers recovered a John Deere mini-excavator believed to have been stolen from a Home Depot in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The excavation equipment had been sold through Facebook Marketplace, where a Geneva resident unknowingly purchased it from the suspect in Georgia.
Geneva Police, along with the Geneva County Sheriff’s Office, set up a sting operation after the victim arranged for Tandongfor to bring a second excavator to Geneva. When Tandongfor arrived with the equipment, which had its serial numbers removed, he was arrested.
Tandongfor has been initially charged with possession of marijuana in the second degree. Once confirmed, he will face further charges for receiving stolen property in the first degree. He also has an active felony theft warrant for over $10,000 from Bradley County, Tennessee, and is out on bond after an arrest in Texas for engaging in organized criminal activity.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to connect Tandongfor with additional stolen machinery.