SAN MARCOS, Texas -- Due to what San Marcos police call the "tenacity of one detective" and help from different departments across Texas, hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment allegedly stolen since 2017 has been recovered and nearly 20 people have been indicted, according to a statement from the city.
San Marcos police said the investigation started in August 2017 when they discovered that a trailer had been reported stolen. San Marcos Detective Patrick Aubry then led an investigation after two more pieces of stolen equipment were recovered in the following months. One piece of equipment that was stolen was a Kubota excavator worth more than $50,000, the city said.
Detectives were able to identify a large group of individuals allegedly responsible for "locating, stealing, transporting, storing, and selling stolen items across the state," the City of San Marcos said. Detectives believe the suspects stole more than $765,000 worth of equipment.
Police said the suspects stole equipment from construction sites and burglarized buildings and vehicles across Texas to obtain the stolen goods, including heavy equipment, vehicles, trailers and tools. Other stolen items include electronics, jewelry, wheels and tires, a high end mountain bicycle, a commercial grade power washing rig, firearms and construction equipment, the city said.
The suspects then allegedly resold the stolen items for cash or "significant quantities of methamphetamine at a fraction of the property’s value."
The following people have been arrested in the Austin area in connection to the ring:
- JD Ross
- Christopher Blake Thomas
- Sonya Elayne Brown
- Adam Ray Lawrence
- Texas Ross Wiley
- Marco Antonio Castilla
- Arturo Corona-Reyes
- Rick Alan Linda
- Ronnie Dale Belk
- Randy Lee Mulkins
- Wesley Don Welch
- Anthony Todd Voight
The following people have been identified as suspects related to the ring, but are not in custody, the city said:
- Kristy Gabrielle Ybarra
- Dean Edward Swenson
- Jess McCoy Hyatt IV
- Gerald Douglas Searcy
- Stewart Michael Wells
Brown and Lawrence were indicted for the fraudulent use or possession of more than 50 identifying information, the city said.
“This multi-year investigation represents the tenacity of one detective,” said San Marcos Police Commander Kelly Bomersbach. “Through Detective Aubry’s persistence and hard work, a vast criminal ring has been exposed, and hundreds of thousands of dollars of equipment has been recovered. Detective Aubry received invaluable support from area crime analysts and other law enforcement agencies to complete this investigation.”
While searching for stolen property connected to the ring, police said they arrested two people for active parole violations -- Robbie Jay Woosley and William Shane Lawrence.
