FALL BRANCH, Tenn. — On Sunday, Aug. 30, Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) troopers and THP’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) located two stolen commercial box trailers loaded with approximately $450,000 worth of Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) that were originally bound for hurricane-relief efforts in Louisiana.
First, THP Sgt. Bobby Bullington located a stolen commercial box trailer belonging to Conley Trucking Co. out of South Carolina at a Pilot Travel Center off Interstate 81 in Jefferson County. Bullington also located the driver, Antonio Eaddy of North Carolina. An investigation revealed that the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate had been removed from the trailer. A secondary VIN was found that confirmed that the trailer was listed in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) as stolen.
THP Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Trooper Michael Hall responded to the scene. During his investigation, the cargo was identified belonging to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Troopers contacted FEMA and were informed that the cargo contained 30,780 pre-packaged individual MREs bound for hurricane relief efforts in Louisiana. The load was valued at more than $200,000.
After further investigation, a second stolen commercial box trailer was located at a Pilot Travel Center off Interstate 40 in Cumberland County. THP-CID Trooper Billy Collins and THP-CID Sgt. Jonathan Scott confirmed that the commercial box trailer was stolen from Florence County, South Carolina. The driver of this vehicle has not yet been located, according to THP.
Eaddy was arrested without incident and charged with Class A Felony theft over $250,000, driving on a suspended license and criminal impersonation.
Investigators notified all parties of their respective property having been recovered. The investigation is ongoing.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Beautiful work. Thank you THP. Now they people that need it will have it. I hope they locate the other thief and lock him up also..
Good job !!!
Good work i drive a truck and pass through your state all the time
Wow! That is awesome! It is also sad that people would steal from those who so badly need it.. hurricane relief ..it is dispicable what people will do in this world and who they will hurt …thank you doing such an amazing job guys!!! Thank you for your continued service..some of us are very grateful and pray for your safety and your families safety during this terrible time..thank you