jeepwm69 7,719 Posted December 29, 2020 Guy about an hour and a half away has them listed on FB Marketplace. I called and asked details, got a phone number and address. He said he got a 420 Rancher in trade and they were on the Rancher. So, what is the best tactic here to find out who he got that Rancher from? Wear patter is funky, painted Honda Rubicon wheels. Those are my tires. I just don't know how to prove it. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fishfiles 20,147 Posted December 29, 2020 He might have lied to you , there might not be a Rancher 420 even in the picture , just a story , he might be the one that took them -------- I hate to say it , but think it is going to be impossible to prove those are your , even with pictures 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WonderMonkey 725 Posted December 29, 2020 If you can't prove it, call the police. Maybe this person has priors and they would be willing to his place an look around. You may not get your stuff, but possibly, if he is the thief, they could cause him some trouble. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,591 Posted December 29, 2020 (edited) congrats jeep! and you thought you'd never see them again.... how to prove it? that's a hard one, at least let the local law enforcement know, maybe they can collect them, that way they want just up and disappear again... and check him for criminal history and other stolen items ? alert them to some of his criminal activities, that way others won't suffer the same ordeal. or at least maybe find out if he was the one who snatched, them, i think you said you thought the guy worked for a tree trimming service ? I'm glad at someone has lucked out finding there stolen property, at least something good could come out of this. Edited December 29, 2020 by _Wilson_™ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akunin 348 Posted December 30, 2020 (edited) Do you have any high resolution pictures of when you installed them or anytime afterward?.. anything that might show a blemish or unique mark that would be good as a fingerprint? I'd then submit them to the authorities. Good luck!!! Edit. I just reread the original thread. Does the Facebook match up with the guy from the tree crew? Edited December 30, 2020 by Akunin 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AKATV 839 Posted December 30, 2020 (edited) Wow good job tracking them down I agree with Akunin, maybe if there was some small ding in the rim (if they were yours), a small chunk out of tread etc... anything that could help you pin it down Boy, that would be good if they could link it back to the tree crew somehow I bet if the police did get involved they could back track it pretty quick Hope you get your tires back and the thief gets what he deserves Edited December 30, 2020 by AKATV Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slowindown 494 Posted December 30, 2020 Since you are sure they are yours, don't equivocate if you call the police. Tell them you are 100% sure. Is there some unique item you can identify on the tires or rims, like a paint run or a notch in the rubber? If someone calls my guys, that will work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadetree 5,969 Posted December 30, 2020 unless you see some kinda '' mark '' ?..on one of the tires ?, you can not prove anything, sad..but true..and i hope you '' locate '' that mark ?!. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheeler 2,527 Posted December 30, 2020 I'd go bust some !! I can't believe you actually found them! Cops won't do anything... without proof... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,591 Posted December 30, 2020 that's right ^^^ and that's just about what it takes nowa days, besides if it's that guy you said was with the tree trimming crew, you already know he's been criminal for a while, and was at your place when those tires ended gone, if the cops wont do anything, I'd find him, and .. well, i agree with wheeler 100%, and have been there, payback is sweet!!! Duran used to work for one of my buddies. Meth Head who stole and stole and stole from them while he was working on their farm. He moved to a small community west of town and they ran him out of there because he was stealing batteries off of power units. did the guy happen to give his name out ? , you might be able to bait the guy on face book to link this back to Duran, and you mentioned this seller was west of you, so you have a couple of more clues. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheeler 2,527 Posted December 30, 2020 True story swear to gawd... I may mess this up a little, but you'll get the gist of it... My buddy had his wallet stolen somehow.. had concert tickets in it. Well they obviously have seat #s... Well he kept doing what you did Jeep, & found a guy advertising them for sale on a local site.. So my buddy messages him, gets a spot to meet up to "buy" the tickets.. however brings another buddy with him who is outta sight. Upon the dude showing the tickets & verifing it was his tickets he proceeded to knock the crap outta him while the other dude went thru his car, then pulled his wallet, & took his ID.. They called the cops after beating him up, & NO charges laid. Got his wallet back minus some cash etc, & got the tickets back!!!!!! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeepwm69 7,719 Posted December 30, 2020 Well this thing turned into a LOT of time on the phone last night with my local sheriff, the sheriff over in Mississippi where the tires were listed, and the seller. I called the Lafayette County (Oxford MS) sheriff and gave them the guys info, and they went out and checked them out. I think the sheriff meant well, but the seller said he'd had them for quite a while and that they were bone stock wheels and weren't my tires. I sent a close up of the flat flange on the Rubicon wheel and explained that they weren't common, and certainly not common when painted with the exact tires I had, but I knew it would be an uphill battle so I told him I understood that I couldn't prove they were mine, and thanked him for going out. A bit later the seller sends me a text and (paraphrasing) says "Hey, we just had the sheriff come out and said these wheels might have been stolen out of Arkansas recently. We have had them for about 2 months, so these can't be yours. Is it safe to assume you won't be coming to look at them and aren't interested in buying?" I merely sent a screenshot of my post on bookface from Oct 8 describing the tires and wheels, and he replied and said "Well that is from before we got these. I'm going to have the sheriff come back out and we'll have a closer look at them" At that point he could have just done the "These are mine, cops are gone, I'm in the clear even if they are stolen" but he didn't. Apparently his teenaged son had traded them for assassinators less than two months ago, and they'd been on a 420 Rancher prior to that (so misunderstanding there). We go back and forth a bit, I explain the odd wear on them, the painted aluminum wheels, etc, and at this point we're both convinced that they're mine. He said his boy asked him what was going to happen if they WERE stolen, and he told his kid that he'd have to turn them over. I tell him that I understand they weren't the thieves, and that I'd planned on offering a reward if they were recovered, so I'd work something out with his kid. He said the sheriff was coming back out, and asked if I happened to have any pics of the tires where they could look for distinguishing marks. I went back and found the original ad where I picked them up, and forwarded those to him. A while later he calls me and asks me to look at one of those pictures, and there is a cut/crack at the base of one of the lugs in the pic. He said none of the tires he has have that crack. He said he'd found the guy they got them from, and called him, and got the name of the guy who'd sold them to THAT guy, and then called that seller and he had bought the tires new. I said "well if that's the case, these aren't mine, and I've wasted your time" The sheriff called me back a while later and confirmed that he'd closely inspected the tires, no crack, and that he'd traced back the lineage of the tires and they had been swapped a few times locally, but the original owner was there in North Mississippi. So, a dead end. BUT, it's nice to know that there are still honest people in the world who want to do the right thing. That guy could have easily walked away and never sent me a follow-up text, and I would have been ticked off thinking he was a dirtbag who was going to profit from selling my stolen goods. Instead, he spent the time and effort to make sure that what he had wasn't my stolen wheels and tires. Sucks that I didn't get my tires back, but I have a little more faith in humanity than I did yesterday (still very little, mind you, but a bit more than I did yesterday LOL). Sorry this is long, but wanted to fill everyone in on how things panned out. I am going to get the kid a gas card, mail it to him with a note about doing the right thing. I hope he'll realize that while, unfortunately, crime DOES pay, sometimes doing the right thing does as well, and hopefully he'll follow his dad's example as he gets older. His dad said the kid just bought a 98 Dodge Truck and is trying to fix it up, so with a gas hog like that I know a gas card will come in handy. 9 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bcsman 1,404 Posted December 30, 2020 Jeep, not the ending you wanted but I am surprised at what was accomplished and checked out after your inquiries. As you said it does give hope there are decent people and police out there, but we all know there are. And an even better show of kindness done on your part with the gas card....good job.... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,591 Posted December 30, 2020 jeep very impressed at how much that guy tried to help you, checking all the way back to when the tires were purchased new, i know it's not the ending you were looking for but ... it's very nice that they all went far to help clear this up. i think that guy, and his son would be great members here, so if it were me, and they both were / are into honda atvs i would tell them about our home here. good honest people are so hard to find nowa days, they both would get a handshake from me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shadetree 5,969 Posted December 30, 2020 4 hours ago, jeepwm69 said: Well this thing turned into a LOT of time on the phone last night with my local sheriff, the sheriff over in Mississippi where the tires were listed, and the seller. I called the Lafayette County (Oxford MS) sheriff and gave them the guys info, and they went out and checked them out. I think the sheriff meant well, but the seller said he'd had them for quite a while and that they were bone stock wheels and weren't my tires. I sent a close up of the flat flange on the Rubicon wheel and explained that they weren't common, and certainly not common when painted with the exact tires I had, but I knew it would be an uphill battle so I told him I understood that I couldn't prove they were mine, and thanked him for going out. A bit later the seller sends me a text and (paraphrasing) says "Hey, we just had the sheriff come out and said these wheels might have been stolen out of Arkansas recently. We have had them for about 2 months, so these can't be yours. Is it safe to assume you won't be coming to look at them and aren't interested in buying?" I merely sent a screenshot of my post on bookface from Oct 8 describing the tires and wheels, and he replied and said "Well that is from before we got these. I'm going to have the sheriff come back out and we'll have a closer look at them" At that point he could have just done the "These are mine, cops are gone, I'm in the clear even if they are stolen" but he didn't. Apparently his teenaged son had traded them for assassinators less than two months ago, and they'd been on a 420 Rancher prior to that (so misunderstanding there). We go back and forth a bit, I explain the odd wear on them, the painted aluminum wheels, etc, and at this point we're both convinced that they're mine. He said his boy asked him what was going to happen if they WERE stolen, and he told his kid that he'd have to turn them over. I tell him that I understand they weren't the thieves, and that I'd planned on offering a reward if they were recovered, so I'd work something out with his kid. He said the sheriff was coming back out, and asked if I happened to have any pics of the tires where they could look for distinguishing marks. I went back and found the original ad where I picked them up, and forwarded those to him. A while later he calls me and asks me to look at one of those pictures, and there is a cut/crack at the base of one of the lugs in the pic. He said none of the tires he has have that crack. He said he'd found the guy they got them from, and called him, and got the name of the guy who'd sold them to THAT guy, and then called that seller and he had bought the tires new. I said "well if that's the case, these aren't mine, and I've wasted your time" The sheriff called me back a while later and confirmed that he'd closely inspected the tires, no crack, and that he'd traced back the lineage of the tires and they had been swapped a few times locally, but the original owner was there in North Mississippi. So, a dead end. BUT, it's nice to know that there are still honest people in the world who want to do the right thing. That guy could have easily walked away and never sent me a follow-up text, and I would have been ticked off thinking he was a dirtbag who was going to profit from selling my stolen goods. Instead, he spent the time and effort to make sure that what he had wasn't my stolen wheels and tires. Sucks that I didn't get my tires back, but I have a little more faith in humanity than I did yesterday (still very little, mind you, but a bit more than I did yesterday LOL). Sorry this is long, but wanted to fill everyone in on how things panned out. I am going to get the kid a gas card, mail it to him with a note about doing the right thing. I hope he'll realize that while, unfortunately, crime DOES pay, sometimes doing the right thing does as well, and hopefully he'll follow his dad's example as he gets older. His dad said the kid just bought a 98 Dodge Truck and is trying to fix it up, so with a gas hog like that I know a gas card will come in handy. amen brother..karma does, and will find you !..kudo's for the gas card ^5 !. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeepwm69 7,719 Posted December 31, 2020 Needless to say, not a worse feeling in the world to declare something "I KNOW those are MINE" and then find out that you were wrong, wrong, wrong. I am going to send the dad a link to here. Doesn't sound like they are super into Hondas, but who knows, they might end up that way if they hang around here. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,591 Posted January 1, 2021 thanks jeep, great to start the new year off, i just hope they will join. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chevymec 510 Posted January 1, 2021 Jeep, that is stand up man. It is good to see that there are some good people in this situation that still have good morals. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites