Deputies seize stolen equipment

MILAN TWP. — A Milan Township couple lost several thousands of dollars after buying two pieces of equipment that turned out to be stolen. In August, a detective with the Greece, New York, police department, a suburb of Rochester, called the Erie County Sheriff's Office seeking assistance in recovering a suspected stolen skid steer. A skid steer is a small, rigid-frame, engine-powered machine with lift arms that can attach to a wide variety of labor-saving tools and attachments. The skid steer was rented at a Home Depot in New York and was not returned. It was equipped with a GPS tracker that was pinging to an address on Ohio 113 in Milan Township, according to an Erie County Sheriff's Office report. Deputies went to the home in the 12000 block and summoned the homeowner. She reportedly admitted to buying the skid steer and opened her barn, allowing detectives to search, the report states. She became upset when told the item was stolen. She said she and her husband purchased the skid steer for $7,000 from Facebook Marketplace. The item, new, costs upward of $30,000, according to Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth. The skid steer was seized and removed from the property by an Erie County engineer's office employee. The couple was given a receipt for the machine. Several days later, deputies received a request to search the property again and look for a backhoe. The backhoe was rented from a Home Depot in Pontiac, Michigan. It was due back the same day, but was instead listed for sale online and sold to the Milan Township couple. It was seized, along with the skid steer's bucket. The backhoe was present during the search for the skid steer, but it had not been reported stolen yet.