Athens-Clarke police are investigating the theft of almost $170,000 worth of heavy equipment from an Athens business.

The theft was reported on Dec. 18 from Sunbelt Rentals on Atlanta Highway, according to the report released on Monday.

The equipment included two Bobcat skid steers and a John Deere mini excavator that were transported to a location in Maysville in Jackson County after a fraudulent rental agreement was made, according to police.

The rental agreement was made with a company in Henry County, which reported to Sunbelt that they never made the order. This company also reported that it is a teaching institution and not involved in actual construction work.

Police said two pieces of equipment did contain tracking devices and it showed these pieces were on a train track in Chicago, Illinois.

Fraud Suspect: Suwanee man arrested in Athens after arriving to collect items purchased fraudulently

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