VICTOR INGE

THE SELMA TIMES-JOURNAL

A Dallas County man pled guilty Friday to theft charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for allegedly stealing a travel trailer in an investigation that also included items valued at more than $100,000 taken from a local manufacturer.

An accomplice, who also pled guilty to similar charges, had already been sentenced in Dallas County Circuit Court several weeks ago.

Heath A. Ammons was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury in August 2005 for theft of property and two counts of receiving stolen property. Ammons, 32, pled guilty to receiving stolen property before Judge Marvin Wiggins.

On May 23, 2005, Global Manufacturing reported a burglary where a locked gate had been cut and entry was also made into the building on Old Montgomery Highway. Several items were reported stolen from inside and several large items were taken from the yard, including 17 telephone poles, three utility trailers, a Bush Hog, assorted tools and electrical and plumbing fixtures, according to police reports. The company estimated the value to items taken to be worth $105,000.

The manager told police he had several employees whom he had to let go recently, and that whomever pulled off the burglary had to have knowledge of the property. A week later, authorities contacted Ammons in Georgia, who admitted he had one of the trailers. Ammons returned to Selma with the trailer that same day and was arrested.

Ammons told police in a written statement that he received the trailer from Ryan Lovelady. Ammons confessed to police that Lovelady asked him if he would go with him to a hunting camp to pick up a utility trailer, according to police records. Lovelady, who was also arrested and charged, has also pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

District Attorney Michael Jackson said crimes of theft committed against businesses, both large and small, &8220;make it harder for them to earn profits.&8221;