Alabama man charged with stealing 70-ton crane

CHILTON, Ala. — An Alabama man is accused of a heavyweight crime: the theft of a 70-ton crane.

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The Chilton County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call on Monday from the owner of a local towing service. The complainant said a man had called the towing service to request a crane be pulled out of a wooded area behind a residence and hauled to a scrap yard to sell. According to The Associated Press report, the tow service owner remembered moving the crane on a previous job and contacted the owner, who said the crane had not been sold or given away.

The tow service operator contacted the police. According to the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, the individual attempting to steal the crane tried to drive it away, but drove it into a ditch instead. The individual fled but was arrested the next day.

Johnny Kent Mims, 26, was charged with first-degree theft and probation violation.

In its Facebook post about the incident, the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office said, “We have worked a lot of theft cases over the years but this one definitely takes first place in the heavyweight category.”

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