PANOLA CO., Miss. — A Panola County man wanted for numerous four-wheeler thefts amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars is finally behind bars.
Authorities in Missouri arrested Anthony Sims earlier this week. Sims is expected to be returned to Panola County to face multiple charges.
Keith Mothershead lives in the Pleasant Grove community west of Sardis. He knows several people who have been victims of Sims, who’s charged with stealing numerous ATV’s and more.
“I know of two tractors that I think were stolen, I believe, but it was something every night for two or three months seemingly,” Mothershead said.
While investigators think sims could be linked to some thefts of farm equipment, it’s his passion for ATV’s—larger side-by-side off-road vehicles—and even riding mowers that’s gained him his reputation, and it’s believed he didn’t act alone.
“Riding around the county, scoping different items out, and they would go back at night and take them,” said Panola County sheriff Shane Phelps.
Finding sims has been top priority for the Panola County sheriff, who says the man with tattoos all over his body was captured in Sikeston, Missouri while shopping for shoes at a Tractor Supply Company store.
“We’re waiting for him to get extradited back down here so my investigators can sit down with him and hopefully we can find out exactly where these items were taken to,” Phelps said.
Phelps wouldn’t comment on specifically what evidence they have but called it enough probable cause to develop Sims as a suspect.
He will be charged with several counts of grand larceny.
Kirk Rowsey is co-owner of Big Delta Powersports in Batesville, specializing in all types of ATV’s. He says ATV owners fork out a lot of money for these vehicles, and he hates to see someone like Sims steal their investment.
“You could see anywhere from $4,000 to $35,000 spent on this, on some units to use for hunting and farming,” Rowsey said.
