Man arrested for theft at chicken farm

A Forest man has been arrested and charged in connection with taking materials from a Neshoba County chicken farm at Hope.

The man, Bill Hayes, 45, 4506 Langs Mill Road, Forest, was arrested and charged with grand larceny, according to Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark.

Clark said investigators are working to identify an accomplice and expect more arrests.

More than 1,500 feet of copper wire was taken from a set of four chicken houses off Highway 488 on Feb. 6, Clark said.

Clark said Hayes had been identified as someone who had recently worked for the farmer. He was brought in for questioning on Friday, Feb. 16.

“The local farmer had allowed Hayes to remove scraps from a chicken house that had recently burned,” Clark said. 

According to Clark, Hayes allegedly returned to the farm and removed over $7,000 worth of copper wiring.  

“The farmer was devastated when he went to use an electric pump in one of the remaining chicken houses,’ Clark said. “The loss of power led him to the discovery of the theft.”

Specifically, Clark said Hayes and anyone else charged in this case could face charges related to property or equipment that was damaged when they stole the wiring.

Clark said there is a market for materials and equipment from chicken farms. Last week Clark reported an unrelated theft in which Jerry Lee Higgins, 47, of Walnut Grove, was charged with three counts of grand larceny in connection with at least three reported incidents in Neshoba County where tin roofing for chicken houses and other materials and equipment were stolen.

Contact East Mississippi Crime Stoppers at (855) 485-TIPS or the NCSO at (601) 656-1414 if you have information about a crime.