MARION, Ill. (WTVO) – An Illinois man has been charged with theft after allegedly stealing a backhoe and driving about 10 miles to catch a flight at an airport.
Deputies were notified on May 18 that the backhoe parked in the parking lot of the Southern Illinois Veterans Airport was suspicious in nature, according to the Williams County Sheriff’s Office.
The owner of the backhoe identified it as belonging to his property and told officers it had been parked at 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 driven it about 10 miles to catch a flight to the airport. Security camera footage showed him arriving and packing the backhoe into the parking lot before entering the airport lobby.
Baggott has been charged with theft over $10,000, which is a felony. He faces up to seven years behind bars if convicted, according to reports The Law Office of Jessica Koester.
