by: Jack Baudoin
MARION, Ill. (WTVO) — An Illinois man has been charged with theft after reportedly stealing a backhoe and driving about 10 miles to catch a flight at an airport.
Deputies were informed on May 18 that the backhoe was parking the parking lot of Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois, which was suspicious in nature, according to the Williams County Sheriff’s Office.
The owner of the backhoe identified it as belonging to his property, telling officers that it had been parked on a job site located at the intersection of Illinois Route 13 and Spillway Road.
An investigation showed that Timothy Baggot of Carbondale had stolen the backhoe and drove it about 10 miles to catch a flight at the airport. Security camera footage showed him arriving and packing the backhoe in the parking lot before entering the airport lobby,
Baggott has been charged with Theft in Excess of $10,000, which is a felony. He faces up to seven years behind bars if convicted, according to The Law Office of Jessica Koester.
