Two men have

been arrested for giving steals of a deal on John Deere farm and lawn

equipment at a motorcycle shop in north Fayette County.

It turned out

that the merchandise sold was stolen property, ranging from tractors to

four-wheel-drive utility carts, said Maj. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette

County Sheriff's Office.

So far, nine

John Deeres have been confiscated locally, but Jordan believes many more

were sold in Fayette County. The scheme had been going on "for at

least a year," he said.

Anyone with

John Deere equipment purchased from American Twin Motorcycles is asked

to call Jordan at the sheriff's office; otherwise, such persons can face

felony charges of theft by receiving stolen property, Jordan said.

"If they

come to us and let us check the equipment, they won't be arrested,"

Jordan said.

The discounts

were given at nearly 50 percent off retail prices, Jordan said. The purchasers

should have known the property was stolen, Jordan said.

"This

was not an authorized John Deere distributor," Jordan said.

Arrested were

Lewis Gilbert Shirley, 56, of Fayetteville and Larry Whitaker, 38, of

Spalding County. Both were charged with nine felony counts of theft by

receiving stolen property. The Federal Bureau of Investigation may also

bring federal charges against the two.

Whitaker would

sell the equipment at nearly half off the regular price from the American

Twin Motorcycles shop he operated on Ga. Highway 85 North, Jordan said.

The equipment was was stolen from Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and

Florida and trucked into Fayette in rented cargo vans, Jordan said.

One of the

confiscated tractors was found after its owner tried to hide it, Jordan

said. As a result, Roy Hayes Boyer, 56, owner of the Speedi Pig barbecue

restaurant, was charged with obstruction of a police officer.

"He purchased

$20,000 worth of equipment with $6,000," Jordan said.

So far, approximately

$200,000 in stolen property has been recovered, Jordan said. That brought

the FBI's total in seized equipment relating to the investigation to $750,000,

Jordan said.