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After the theft of tools valued at more than $10,000, a local man was sentenced to two years in state prison.
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OKEECHOBEE — Charged with 19 counts dealing in stolen property, 17 counts giving fasle information to a pawn shop, grand theft and petit theft, David Coleman entered a plea of no contest to several of the charges and was adjudicated guilty on Jan. 28. Judge Michael McNicholas sentenced him to two years in state prison followed by two years probation.
Coleman, 53, was arrested in November of 2019 after Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Timothy Porter responded to the Okeechobee County facility maintenance in reference to a theft. The manager told Porter he and some employees had noticed some items missing from the facility. The manager told him about Coleman, who he said was let go a couple months earlier and left on bad terms.
An online search of a database known as LeadsOnline led them to local pawn shops throughout the county. Some of the items stolen were Rigid drills, Rigid Combo tool sets, Dewalt drills, Skill reciprocating saws, Stihl concrete saws, Rigid battery chargers, disc grinder, tile saw, pressure washer, weed eater, compressor and an Echo chainsaw. None of the items were recovered. The total value of items stolen was estimated to be $10,670.
