41,350 pound meat theft leads to Geneva County

By Matt Elofson

Published: February 04, 2011
Updated: February 04, 2011 - 10:25 PM
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State and federal authorities are on the trail of a meat thief who took 41,350 pounds of ground hamburger meat worth an estimated $95,000.

Geneva Police Lt. Ricky Morgan said police started the meat theft investigation earlier in the week after a local business owner reported a tractor trailer parked behind his business for a long period of time. Morgan said police found what later turned out to be an empty tractor trailer behind the Martin Farms businesses on West Magnolia Avenue in Geneva.

Morgan said investigators found the 18-wheeler, from Grand Coteau, La., empty of its entire load of 22 pallets of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved ground beef.

“As a result of the investigation, we have located a little over half the meat,” Morgan said.
Morgan said investigators found 14 pallets of the stolen meat at a Hartford grocery store.

But he said they’ve ruled out any criminal involvement from the grocery.

Morgan said Hartford police, agents with the USDA, along with other federal authorities are also involved in the investigation.

Morgan said they have a suspect in the theft, and expect to file arrest warrants in the next couple of days.

“We have identified a suspect, and are in the early stages of obtaining warrants for his arrest,” Morgan said.

Morgan said police also believe more than one person was likely involved in the theft.

“This is the first time I can remember us having a cargo theft of this nature,” Morgan said. “It’s definitely most unusual, just due to the dollar amount of it.”

The Dothan Eagle