MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man has been charged with 17 counts of burglary after an operation conducted by Memphis Police and CSX Railroad Police in response to a large number of train car thefts.
Agents with the Memphis Police Cargo Theft Taskforce and CSX Railroad Special agents conducted the operation after receiving reports of multiple train car thefts.
Agents for CSX Railroad said that 17 train cars had been burglarized, finding 23 empty TV boxes on the scene. CSX agents said the total value was $37,000.
Memphis Police said that Railroad police told them they saw individuals offloading cargo from a train in the area of Walnut and Polk and stashing it in a nearby wooded area.
According to police, Special Agents with the CSX Railroad placed GPS tracking devices inside merchandise after observing this.
Police said the tracking device and merchandise was recovered in and around an abandoned warehouse between Walnut and Polk.
Police said that they noticed Jimmy Ford walking back and forth between the abandoned property when a vehicle pulled up to offload merchandise.
According to reports, Ford was apprehended and taken into custody.
Investigators said they recovered 56 televisions along with other property recovered from the abandoned warehouse.
James Smith lives near where the crime occurred.
“The people who buy at Walmart, like they are going there because they need that stuff and might not be able to get it anywhere else for a good price. So yeah, if I would hear something like that I would hope that the police steps in,” Smith said. “I worry less about TVs but there is always a chance, especially, here in Memphis, stealing medicine, stealing food, and if that is a thing that is happening, I fully support someone stopping them.”
Ford is currently being held on $25,000 bond and his next court appearance is set for November 5.