Florida men accused of riding off with $80K in lawnmowers, equipment

Father, son facing charges from multiple counties, authorities say

Booking photos of James Ford and Joseph Ford (courtesy of Union County Sheriff's Office)

Apparently, there's a new theft target on the Northeast Florida landscape (pun intended).

A father and son were caught this week stealing a commercial lawnmower and trailer in Alachua County, authorities said.

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Investigators had been watching the pair for weeks hoping to cut off a rash of lawnmower thefts, according to the Union County Sheriff's Office. 

The men -- 61-year-old James Floyd Ford and 36-year-old Joseph Edwin Ford -- are charged in Bradford County with dealing in stolen property. They are also facing warrants from Putnam and Alachua counties.

Investigators from several counties ran across seven mowers and three trailers that had been reported stolen -- worth about $80,000 altogether, the Sheriff's Office said.

They're searching for more stolen property and possibly other people who might have been involved.

The men, who are from Lake Butler, are being held in the Bradford County Jail as deputies from Union, Bradford, Alachua and Marion counties work together to sculpt their case.


About the Author

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.

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