HICKORY, N.C.,None — Police in Hickory said one arrest led to them finding $250,000 in stolen property from four states.
They said a man was trying to sell trucks, boats and more online. The case broke open after one of the victims called police and told them his stolen property was being sold on Craigslist.
The tip led them to the home of Frederick Washburn.
“We expected to find stolen items. We didn't expect to find items at the magnitude that we did," said Capt. Thurman Whisnant with the Hickory Police Department.
Police said they were at Washburn’s lakefront home for most of the day where they found some stolen property in his yard. Inside his home, they discovered receipts which led them to storage units where they found several vehicles which they believe were stolen as well.
Officers said Washburn was arrested and charged with a dozen felonies. His bond was set at $500,000.
Neighbors were surprised by the arrest.
"We had no idea of these things. We saw some vehicles come in, but we thought he was trading them and it was his way of life," one neighbor said.
Investigators spent most of the day logging all of the stolen items that they believe came from as far away as California and across the southeast.
“We believe that for some of it he was posting it on Internet sites such as Craigslist. We are looking to see if there are other auction sites," Whisnant said.
Now police are trying to return the stolen property they found while also searching through records to see if there are more items out there.
Hickory police want anyone who recently bought something from Washburn to contact them.