By Jeremy Weldon

Almost $60,000 in construction equipment reported stolen from Yocona Gin in mid-July has been recovered by the Panola County Sheriff’s Department, and the investigation into the grand larceny case will likely lead to the arrests of several suspects in the North Mississippi area.

The  case is ongoing and has been turned over to state investigators from the Dept. of Agriculture, who believe the theft of farm and construction type equipment in other areas, according to Panola County Investigator George Renfroe, who worked the case locally.

Page Clearing Inc, headquartered in Red Bay, Ala., had stored equipment at the gin while its workers are in the area clearing land for Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association linemen. Renfoe said because of the on-going work by law enforcement to connect the Panola County theft with others it the region, the suspects have not yet been arrested.

The case will be presented to a Grand Jury and officials will ask for indictments at that time.

The Sheriff’s Department also this week said suspects have been detained and  questioned, and indictments will soon be delivered, in a series of burglaries that Renfroe said stretched from the north to the south end of the county.

In those break-ins the suspects had reportedly stolen a large number of antiques and guns from two houses, and taken and ATV and other valuables at other locations. Investigators were able to recover many of the stolen items from a house outside the Batesville city limits.

Questioning of suspects led deputies to more goods, and several people are expected to  be indicted when the case is taken before the Grand Jury.