by Dennis Sharkey
Landmark reporter

Police have arrested one man and questioned another in a rash of farm equipment thefts from Platte County farms.

As first reported in The Landmark last week, Platte County Sheriff's department investigators had recently recovered more than $200,000 in stolen farm equipment.

On Wednesday, Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd filed charges against Michael Wayne Stroud, 48, of Edgerton in connection with the thefts. Police detained a 29-year-old Gladstone man for questioning but later released him.

Stroud had implicated the man in an interview with police. According to Capt. Frank Hunter with the Platte County Sheriff's Department it was determined during an interview with the man that Stroud had fabricated the story. Hunter said the man knew Stroud but had not communicated with him since February.

Platte County Sheriff Dick Anderson said during a press conference on Thursday that a 2005 Jayco trailer was reported stolen on May 13. On May 26, police received a report of a stolen John Deere tractor and loader. Two days later a New Holland tractor was reported missing.

After about five weeks of no thefts police were called to a theft of a Case Tractor on July 7. On July 17 an H&S wheel hay rake was reported stolen and on July 23 another John Deere Tractor was stolen.

Police have also recovered a piece of machinery commonly known as a bobcat they believe to be stolen.

According to the statement of probable cause ,during an interview with police on Tuesday, Nov. 3 Stroud admitted to the possession of the stolen items except for one, and admitted to selling the New Holland tractor and the hay rake.

Stroud told police that he purchased the items from the Gladstone man at a low price. He told investigators that he should have been suspicious of the sale. He also told police that he and the man checked out the equipment before the thefts.

Stroud also told police he moved stolen equipment off of his property once he learned some items had been recovered. Some items were moved to Clay County.

Anderson said in July the case turned cold after the thefts had stopped and that investigators were making no real progress.

“I think it's important to note that this was a pretty cold case despite the work we had done to try to solve it until citizens came forward and cooperated,” Anderson told the media on Thursday. “I'm really indebted to those citizens.

“I think this just illustrates the value of citizens taking part in solving crimes and preventing crimes,” he added. “When they do that, we have a much greater level of success.”

Anderson added that the farming community is a tight knit community and communication among farmers may be what led the victims to where their property was located, although that is just speculation.

Anderson said it when one of the victims came forward with knowledge of the whereabouts of a piece of stolen equipment, it gave investigators the lead they needed.

Another piece of equipment has been seized and investigators are trying to determine whether it is stolen.

Stroud is currently being held in the Platte County detention center on $50,000 bond. If convicted, Stroud could face up to 15 years in prison.