Man Posts Items for Sale that He’d Reported as Stolen

Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office Investigators were following up on a reported burglary when one of them became suspicious of the victim’s claim. The investigator found another report from approximately one year ago, where the victim had reported almost the same crime to include the same type of property stolen.  Several items were reported in both burglaries with a common element that the property was from rent-to-own companies.

​The investigator looked up the purported “victim” on Facebook and found the man was selling an X-box, several video games, and a 55 inch television. The items matched what the man had reported stolen from the burglary, which was initially reported in January of this year.  

​Investigators began to converse with the man through Facebook.  An arrangement was made to meet the man in Greenwood to purchase the items he had for sale.  The man showed up at the appointment and brought the items.  Unbeknownst to the man, the person who had showed to purchase the items was a SCSO investigator.  The man began to load the items in the investigator’s vehicle and was arrested.

​Investigators charged Jonathan D. McCoy, 38, of Greenwood with theft of leased property and filing a false report, both felonies.  McCoy was booked into the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center with no bond set at the time of booking.  McCoy has a lengthy criminal history involving theft.