A Norcross man was arrested on Tuesday for reportedly operating a chop shop after a stolen excavator tipped off officials.
Gwinnett County Police were dispatched to a stolen vehicle call on Tuesday. The owner reported his mini-excavator stolen and that he had a GPS tracker in it.
Officers responded to Rockbridge Way in Norcross, where they could see the excavator from the street.
The home was that of 46-year-old Larry Dobbs, who was allegedly operating the chop shop.
Motor Vehicle Theft Unit detectives obtained search warrants. It was then that officials claim they found over $100,000 in property that they recovered from the residence.
The recovered property reportedly included two excavators, a stolen SUV, three vehicles with altered VIN numbers, two stolen motorcycles, a trailer, fentanyl, oxycodone, and a stolen handgun.
Dobbs was charged with operating a chop shop, theft by taking, three counts of felony theft by receiving, misdemeanor theft by receiving, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, three counts of felony altered VIN, and possession of tools for the commission of a crime.
Dobbs is being held in the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.
