BUTTS COUNTY, Ga. — The Butts County Sheriff's Office says a man's attempt to make a quick buck ended with them behind bars over the weekend, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post.
"Another one finds out the hard way," they wrote.
They say a mini excavator was stolen from a job site on Fincherville Road over the weekend. But all of a sudden, a tip broke the case wide open — a Facebook Marketplace post.
In a previous post, the sheriff's office shared a Facebook Marketplace post trying to sell an excavator for $25,000 cash.
When it came across the sheriff's office radar, Butts County Sheriff Gary Long and his narcotics agents arranged a meeting acting as a potential buyer to recover the stolen excavator. They say the meeting was set for a location in McDonough.
When the alleged thief showed up, he was taken into custody and the excavator was returned to the rightful owner, the sheriff said in the Facebook post.
The man is now charged with theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
The sheriff says it took three hours between the time the crime was first brought to the attention of the sheriff's office and the man being taken into custody.
"As I always say, it is a[n] honor and privilege to lead the best men and women in the law enforcement business," Long wrote.
The sheriff warned people not to come to Butts County with bad intentions.
"We want everyone to come experience our great community and shop and eat at our local shops," Long wrote. "But if you are considering coming here to commit a crime………..we have the one size fits all handcuffs!"