MCAT detectives served a warrant at a residence in the 5500 block of Blue Sky Ranch Road, east of Snowflake, and recovered numerous stolen items including five stolen vehicles, two of which were disassembled and hidden in various locations on the property.
MCAT detectives served a warrant at a residence in the 5500 block of Blue Sky Ranch Road, east of Snowflake, and recovered numerous stolen items including five stolen vehicles, two of which were disassembled and hidden in various locations on the property. Photo courtesy of the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office

Between June 8 and June 12, Navajo County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) deputies responded to multiple burglary reports in the unincorporated areas east of Snowflake. The burglaries involved the theft of high-value construction equipment, including generators, solar panels and other tools.

On June 12, the Major Crimes Apprehension Team (MCAT) was briefed on the case and immediately began working leads. That evening, MCAT detectives responded to a residence in the Lakeside area and recovered stolen property from one of the burglaries, including a generator, solar panels, inverters, and batteries with a combined estimated value exceeding $25,000.

The items were reportedly sold to individuals at the residence by a suspect identified as 53-year-old Sam Johnson of Snowflake. Based on information gathered at the scene, detectives obtained a search warrant for a property currently occupied by Johnson, in the 5500 block of Blue Sky Ranch Road, east of Snowflake.

On June 13, MCAT Detectives, NCSO Patrol Deputies, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Drug Enforcement Bureau (DPS DEB) executed the search warrant. Upon arrival, Johnson was located on the property operating a stolen backhoe and was immediately detained.

During the search, law enforcement recovered stolen property including a generator, a backhoe that was reported stolen out of the Tucson area, two chainsaws and five stolen vehicles, two of which were disassembled and hidden in various locations on the property. The total estimated value of recovered property from the operation is approximately $153,000. While being transported to the jail, Johnson caused damage to the interior of the patrol vehicle.

Johnson was arrested for possession of stolen property, trafficking in stolen property, fraudulent schemes and artifices, operating a chop shop, criminal damage and five counts of possession of stolen property.

The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the DPS Drug Enforcement Bureau and the community members who provided information leading to the recovery of these stolen items. This investigation remains ongoing.