Deputies arrest 3rd person for UTV fraud
An Attala County man is the third suspect arrested and charged in connection with a scheme where a Neshoba County couple allegedly reported a UTV they sold as stolen.
Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark said the man, Richard Little, 33, of 21358 Highway 43, Ethel, was arrested and charged with felony conspiracy to commit a crime.
Little was the man who allegedly bought the Polaris RZR and was stripping the parts for sale.
Clark said investigators believe he had already sold the tires and suspension system from the vehicle when authorities uncovered the scheme.
Neshoba County Detention Center records show Little was brought into the jail at 12:57 p.m. on Oct. 11 and posted a $15,000 bond two days later at 10:30 a.m.
The other suspects are Alexis Brianna Stewart, 25, and Quinton McLemore, 27, both of 10590 Road 763, charged with false pretense and conspiracy to commit a crime, Clark said.
Stewart and McLemore were arrested following interviews at the Neshoba County Detention Center on Oct. 7. Clark said both suspects posted a $20,000 bond on Oct. 11.
Clark said the crime was a fraud scheme in which they attempted to collect insurance on a Polaris RZR UTV they sold but reported as stolen.
The case first came to the attention of the Neshoba County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, Oct. 6, at about 5:40 p.m. when they received a call reporting a Polaris UTV valued at about $35,000 had been stolen from a residence on Road 763.
Clark said the investigation into the stolen vehicle followed leads, including several submitted tips.
He said they were finally able to track the UTV to a shop in Attala County on Monday, Oct. 7, with the assistance of the Attala County Sheriff’s Office. Clark said Little is the owner of the shop where the vehicle was found.
As the investigation continued with further interviews with the shop owner and Stewart and McLemore, Clark said they began to identify inconsistencies.
“Something wasn’t adding up,” Clark said.
Clark said the case will be handed over to Neshoba County District Attorney Steven Kilgore.