Two booked in multi-parish theft scheme

Two men have been arrested and more than $250,000 in heavy equipment and stolen vehicles have been recovered in what authorities are categorizing as a multi-parish theft operation.
Robert S. Paul, 30, of Pineville was stopped by an Avoyelles Sheriff’s Office deputy near Centerpoint on Aug. 25. Paul was hauling a 20-foot trailer loaded with a Kamatsu trackhoe valued at $50,000. The investigation determined that the trackhoe had been reported stolen in Avoyelles. The trailer is also believed to have been stolen, but the owner has not been verified, an APSO spokesman said.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Ryan Juneau, 34, of Hessmer on Aug. 27. Avoyelles authorities coordinated their investigation with sheriff’s offices in Rapides, LaSalle, Catahoula and Sabine parishes which also reported heavy equipment thefts.
“This is an excellent example of working together with our sheriff department counterparts statewide to combat these heavy equipment thefts,” Avoyelles Sheriff Doug Anderson said. The investigation is ongoing and could lead to additional arrests and recovery of additional stolen equipment, the sheriff said.
Sheriff Anderson said equipment has been found in each of the five parishes involved in the investigation so far. Those items include boats, motors, farm tractors, trailers Caterpillar Bobcats, welding machines and other equipment. Thefts in Avoyelles occurred over the past year in the Effie and Hessmer areas and involved about $100,000 of the total amount recovered so far.
Paul was charged with obstruction of justice on Aug. 25 and then arrested again on Sept. 16 on charges of illegal possession of stolen things and criminal conspiracy. He was released on $2,500 bond for the obstruction charge and $5,000 for the other charges.
Juneau was charged with accessory after-the-fact, illegal possession of stolen things and criminal conspiracy. He was also released on $5,000 bond. Both were booked into the Avoyelles Detention Center #1 in Marksville. They will face additional charges for specific thefts in each of the other parishes involved.