Delores L. Walker, Free Press Reporter

A tip resulted in the arrest of three individuals and halted the production of selling stolen automotive parts in a chop shop operation in Suwannee County.



Joseph T. Bass, 20, O’Brien, Ralph A. Floyd, 18, O’Brien and John E. Stewart, 54 of McAlpin were arrested Friday, June 9 by Sheriff Carson McCall and Dep. Travis Boatright.



The suspects were booked into Lafayette County Jail charged with grand theft auto and conspiracy to commit grand theft auto.



Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office was contacted May 9 by Kenny Revels who reported that his 1957 Chevy 4-door car was missing.



Following up on leads that the stolen ’57 was at a residence in O’Brien the sheriff contacted the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office to advise them of the possible operation of an illegal chop shop in their county.



At that point Lt. Tom Warren of the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Unit and Officer Allen Davis, Department of Agriculture, was contacted by Sheriff McCall requesting their assistance in the investigation.



The findings of the investigation revealed that the ’57 Chevy was indeed stolen from Lafayette County and became a victim in the chop shop being operated at the Bass residence in O’Brien.



Following the arrest of the three Suwannee County men the ’57 Chevy has been recovered, piece by piece.



The Mazda truck and the trailer used to haul the Chevy away from Kenny Revels’ residence has been seized by the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office.



Bass, Floyd and Stewart were released from the county jail on $5000 bonds.