An Orlando man is facing a plethora of charges after he was linked to the theft of two construction trailers in Osteen and additional crimes in Orange County.
The Sheriff’s Offices in Volusia and Orange counties teamed up and apprehended 31-year-old Russell Folmer, who is being held at the Orange County Jail.
Both trailers, a stolen truck, and a stolen gun have been recovered.
The trailers were reported missing on the morning of April 18, 2016, when a foreman with Irby Construction showed up at a construction site on S.R. 415 in Osteen and discovered the thefts.
One of the missing trailers was a dump trailer, the other contained a lot of valuable equipment, including copper grounds, grips, a water pump, hydraulic drills, chain saws, cable slings, copper, and a couple of heavy-duty hoists. A variety of tools were also missing from the work truck.
One of the stolen trailers was found stripped and abandoned in DeBary, and the other was found in Orlando.
While some of the stolen items remain unaccounted for, investigators from both agencies have already recovered more than $50,000 in property.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has charged Folmer with Operating a Chop Shop, two counts of Grand Theft Auto, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
Volusia County sheriff’s investigators will be filing criminal charges in connection to the trailer thefts.
According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Folmer has prior convictions out of Orange County for Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle, Criminal Mischief, Aggravated Assault and False Imprisonment.
Additionally, Folmer has previously been arrested in Lake and Brevard County.