Pair arrested for alleged fraud with UTV

A Philadelphia man and a woman are in custody after allegedly reporting a UTV they sold as stolen.

The suspects are identified as Alexis Brianna Stewart, 25, and Quinton McLemore, 27, both of 10590 Road 763, charged with false pretense and conspiracy to commit a crime, according to Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark.

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.

They were arrested on Monday, Oct. 7, at about  4:30 p.m. Clark said further arrests are likely in this case.

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 a number of submitted tips.

He said they were finally able to track the UTV to a shop in Attala County on Monday afternoon with the assistance of the Attala County Sheriff’s Office.

Clark said the Polaris was stripped for parts, including the tires and the suspension. 

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 they are still tying up loose ends, and further arrests are expected but noted Stewart and McLemore were arrested following interviews at the Neshoba County Detention Center.