Howard County, Maryland, investigators haverecovered approximately 15,000 stolen construction toolsthanks to an AirTag device tracker. Officials announced the recovery in a May 23 news conference. The tools are believed to have been stolen from retail stores, businesses, vehicles, residential properties, and construction sites.
Howard County Police Chief Gregory Der announced the preliminary outcome of the investigation. Der described it as “one of the largest theft cases not only in Howard County but in this region.” The stolen tools greatly impacted many victims, incredibly individual contractors “who have lost work because of their tools.”
The investigation began in late January when an AirTag tracking device in a stolen tool led officers to a storage unit in Elkridge, Maryland. The victim who led detectives to the first cache ofstolen toolswas from Virginia.
“This case sends a clear message: we will not tolerate criminal enterprises operating here in Howard County,” Der said. “I want to thank the detectives from our Special Investigations Division and all the officers who have helped on this enormous and unprecedented case. They have put in thousands of hours and have many more ahead of them. They will see it through to the end.”
Following the initial discovery, detectives carried outsearch warrantsat 12 locations, 11 of which were in Howard County. They recovered around 15,000 stolen tools, a quarter of which were still new in their boxes. It’s believed the property was stolen from victims in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
The totalvalue of the stolen toolsis estimated at between $3 million and $5 million. The department has already identified more than 80 victims, but the investigative team thinks there could be hundreds more, if not thousands. The Howard County Police Department has set up anonline formpotential victims can use to recover their property.
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said during the news conference that the investigation displays “the tenacity of our police department” in combating crime and protecting the county’s residents.
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Officials urge anyone with information on the case to contact police at (410) 313-STOP (7867) or by email to HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.
Jeff Butts has been covering tech news for more than a decade, and his IT experience predates the internet. Yes, he remembers when 9600 baud was “fast.” He especially enjoys covering DIY and Maker topics, along with anything on the bleeding edge of technology.
