Carpenter’s AirTags help uncover massive case of stolen tools - WashingtonPost

After careful examination of the photo, it looks like there were exactly zero Festool items in that pile.

Imagine how much higher the cost estimate would be if there were.
 
What I can't wrap my head around is what the end goal was.  With some of the stolen tools going back to 2014, this appears to be the work of a hoarder or hoarders.  In all of that time, they never thought to, I dunno, pawn some of the tools or list them on eBay or Marketplace?

Luddites, perhaps?

Angry neighbors fed up with power tools?

Bored teenagers?
 
six-point socket II said:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/05/31/police-theft-thousands-power-tools/

15k tools, approx. worth 3-5 million USD recovered/seized.

Incredible.

Kind regards,
Oliver
Click to expand...

Thanks to Oliver for originally posting this, here's the latest update, 5/23/24, as I'm very interested in how this thing ends. You'd think this is a pretty straight forward conviction as "someone" had to pay the monthly storage fees.
https://www.howardcountymd.gov/poli...-involving-recovery-stolen-construction-tools

This reminds me of the recent $21 million catalytic converter theft ring in Minneapolis. My neighbor had all 4 cats cut off of his truck while it was parked in front of his house. The worst part was that his work truck was down for 2 months because replacement cats were not available at the time.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/...les-21-million-catalytic-converter-theft-ring
 
It is odd there would be so many tools in the storage facility.  Why steal them if you don't have a way to resell them?  The thieves probably want to get paid.

Bob
 
I just heard about this today at work. It doesn't make sense though. What is the point of stealing without turning them back into cash? Stealing and holding is just securing the evidence against yourself?
It actually seems like it would be costing them money, rather than making money, since they were paying for storage..... unless there was a whole lot more taken, that was already turned?
Too much volume on the market drives down prices? Re-selling some things is more likely to get you caught? more questions than answers
 
Those we some of my exact same thoughts... They are better at stealing than they are at fencing/resale. I always wondered "what contractors are buying the stolen stuff from my job site?" and maybe the answer is less of them than I worried. I'm just surprised they are not selling that stuff for cheap on eBay or whatever. Maybe too easy to track them down?
 
simnick said:
Those we some of my exact same thoughts... They are better at stealing than they are at fencing/resale. I always wondered "what contractors are buying the stolen stuff from my job site?" and maybe the answer is less of them than I worried. I'm just surprised they are not selling that stuff for cheap on eBay or whatever.
Click to expand...

Well, the unfortunate problem for EVERYONE is that all thieves still have the mindset of "steal now, fence later".  My personal/rental garage has been broken into 4 times over the last 50+ years but on only one occasion has it been an actual professional "break in".  The other 3 times were "crimes of opportunity". A door was left unlocked or a window left slightly open. Just enough of a temptation for a person to gain access and steal what they could carry away.

However, even when the professional thieves are involved, it's still the mind set of steal now, fence later. In that operation they stole 12 roll cabinets of tools, multiple machinists tool boxes, several welders and plasma cutters and 2 replacement windshields for a Ferrari 250 Berlinetta and a new crated engine for a Lotus Esprit. So where's a viable market for Ferrari 250 windshields or a Lotus 4-cylinder turbo engine?
 
[member=44099]Cheese[/member] often that is the most offensive part of a theft. In a case like this, the things stolen(or just damaged/destroyed in the process) are often quite costly (or even impossible to replace) yet yield very little, in the way of actual gains, to the thief.

Not even close to the same, in the way of analogy, but like having a wallet stolen. The cash is likely minimal, the credit cards will be refunded (if they do happen to use them quickly enough) but the giant PITA for the victim, is the ancillary stuff that has no value to anyone else. Replacing your ID, loss of photos, business cards, etc (whatever else you carry) None of it has any monetary value to the thief.
 
Crazyraceguy said:
In a case like this, the things stolen(or just damaged/destroyed in the process) are often quite costly (or even impossible to replace) yet yield very little, in the way of actual gains, to the thief.
Click to expand...

Ya, that's the real tragedy with this situation. In this case the owner of the Ferrari searched for a replacement windscreen in the US  and eventually located a replacement in Italy. Wanting to make sure that what was being offered would be equal to what needed to be replaced, he traveled to Italy just to be sure. Once in Italy, the seller of the windscreen stated that he actually had 2 of them that were NOS and he wanted to sell both of them at the same time. Being between a rock and a hard spot, the Ferrari owner sucked it up (I can only imagine what the 2 windscreens cost), purchased both of them, crated them and had them shipped to the US.

Well, anyone that's familiar with trying to keep old items as authentic as possible, is also familiar with keeping all parts original and the Ferrari owner was trying to squeeze the last life out of his chipped original windscreen. Unfortunately, the 2 NOS units were stolen before he had a chance to swap one of them out.

The injustice of it all...I looked for years to find any sign of my stolen mechanics & machinists tools and 40 years later, there's no sign of the stolen tools, the stolen Ferrari windscreens or a sign of the Lotus turbo motor. Gone...vanished.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top