Maryland police recently recovered around 15,000 stolen construction tools in a massive theft case, thanks to a quick-thinking carpenter looking for justice.
The Howard County Police Department announced the bust on May 23, calling the case "one of the largest and most expansive theft cases in the region in recent years."
Authorities said the cache of 15,000 tools, which were recently found in a storage facility, was worth between $3 and $5 million. According to the Washington Post, a carpenter in Virginia was integral to helping police crack the case.
The carpenter, whose name has not been released, was determined to catch the suspects involved after having his vans broken into twice. He hid multiple AirTags in some of his larger tools to track the thieves if they returned, and on Jan. 22 they did.
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The business owner, who employs around 14 workers, according to the Post, tracked the suspects to a storage facility and alerted authorities. The carpenter lost around 50 tools in the thefts and has only recovered a few.
"They don’t know what they do to me," the carpenter said. "They steal our job."
Police confirmed that a tracking device was used in the investigation in a press release.
"During the investigation, which began in late January when a tracking device in a stolen tool led officers to a storage unit in Elkridge, detectives have conducted search warrants at 12 locations – 11 of which are in Howard County – from where they recovered the tools," the statement reads.
"Detectives believe the tools were stolen from retail stores, businesses, vehicles, residential properties, and construction sites primarily in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania," police added. "The stolen tools were mostly kept in storage units in Howard County and detectives believe they were sold at a variety of locations and through different means."
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So far, no suspects have been charged. Police said the theft case has around 80 victims, and authorities urge them to contact police to retrieve their stolen items.
Howard County Police Chief Gregory Der thanked his officers for working on the case.
"This case sends a clear message: We will not tolerate criminal enterprises operating here in Howard County," Der said. "I want to thank the detectives from our special investigations division and all the officers who have helped on this enormous and unprecedented case. They have put in thousands of hours and have many more ahead of them. They will see it through to the end."
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball also commended authorities for their involvement in the case.
"Howard County is a community where all residents should be safe and feel safe, and we just took another giant leap towards achieving that goal," Ball said. "This case shows the tenacity of our police department in their investigations and in their pursuit of justice."
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FOX Business reached out to the Howard County Police Department for additional details.
