(Photo Courtesy of Chambers County Sheriff's Office)
CHAMBERS COUNTY, Texas - An investigation into missing equipment from Chambers County leads to the arrest of a man in La Marque, officials say.
38-year-old Michael Patrick was arrested and charged First Degree Felony Theft for stealing industrial equipment from Enterprise Products.
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Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne says in January 2023, Enterprise Products corporate security began investigating a large amount of missing industrial equipment such as valves and equipment from their facilities.
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The company contacted the sheriff's office on Jan. 25 about the investigation and filed a report.
(Photo Courtesy of Chambers County Sheriff's Office)
Detective Sergeant Michael Croyle was assigned to the case and continued what had been started by Enterprise Products personnel. Eventually, the investigation led to an address in La Marque which is located in Galveston County.
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Reports say Sergeant Croyle got a search warrant for the residence and Chambers County deputies with La Marque Police executed it.
The search warrant led to more than $3 million in stolen equipment being found, officials say. The equipment was returned to Enterprise Products' facility
Patrick was taken to Chambers County Jail for a charge of First Degree Felony Theft. His bond has been set to $500,000.