Participants

in a scam to sell stolen tractors at a motorcycle shop in Fayette County

are facing felony racketeering charges as the list of recovered John Deere

equipment continues to pile up.

One of the

suspects, Larry F. Whitaker of Griffin, is already in custody with a $1.5

million bond. Racketeering warrants have also been filed against Lewis

Gilbert Shirley, 56, of Fayetteville; Steven Richardson, age unknown,

of Hampton; Kenneth J. Green, 32, of Griffin and Bobby Leon Green, 34,

of Atlanta. None of these men were in custody as of Thursday morning.

According to

the warrants, the Greens are accused of arranging the theft of the equipment,

mostly tractors and utility vehicles. Shirley and Richardson are accused

of selling some of the equipment; Shirley would operate out of American

Twin Motorcycles on Ga. Highway 85 North while Richardson sold his from

Henry County.

The stolen

equipment carried a value of $1.5 million, according to law enforcement

officials.

Maj. Bruce

Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department said the equipment was

usually sold at half off the retail price. The equipment was stolen from

John Deere dealerships across the southeast, usually with three pieces

of equipment taken each time, Jordan said.

The equipment

made its way to Fayette in covered moving vans, Jordan added.

One of the

persons caught with a tractor, Roy Boyer, owner of the Speedi Pig restaurant,

was charged with obstruction of a police officer for attempting to hide

the machine from officers.

Warrants indicate

that other Fayette residents purchased the tractors from Shirley, including

Ralph Padavano, Robert Newburn and Gary Lee Wright. None of those men

face criminal charges, however.

So far, 23

pieces of equipment have been recovered, most of which was found in Fayette

County, Jordan said.

Authorities

have seized the contents of Kenneth J. Green's home in Griffin, which

was owned by another person, Jordan said.

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