a lot of stolen cars are hidden by dumping them in lakes, ponds, and rivers..... but sometimes, stolen vehicles are located in a chop shop, and a tip led the cops to find one yard with (I kid you not) 61 stolen vehicles..... BUT WAIT! There's more! The defendants sued in court that they were innocent! And framed! And claim law enforcement planted five stolen firearms on the property!

back in 2017 Jerry Lee Craig was busted when 66 years old, and 50 year old Bradley Craig was busted, for stolen mowers. $44,000 worth. 

Both lived on Morrell Creek Road, both busted for stolen lawn mowers. 

But Bradley Craig was also found in possession of the following list of stolen vehicles in addition to the 6 mowers:

5 cars

25 trucks

12 motorcycles

1 camper

4 trailers

4 boats

1 ATV

10 golf carts

and  3 tractors

https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/michigan/newaygo/stolen-vehicle-from-2008-found-submerged-in-newaygo-county-pond

https://www.wjhl.com/news/photos-authorities-find-dozens-of-stolen-vehicles-equipment-on-bluff-city-tn-property/

Tennessee, Sullivan County, Sheriffs dept filed the following charges on May 5th 2021:

Bradley Craig, 50, 218 Morrell Creek Road, Bluff City, unlawful carrying or possession of a weapon (nine counts); theft of property (two counts); theft of property; theft of property (37 counts); theft of property (22 counts); theft of property; theft of property; own, operate or conduct a chop shop.

https://www.timesnews.net/news/business/fyi/article_fe4ab388-de7c-11eb-84ef-d7ad0bade221.html

https://swvatoday.com/news/article_2f7da9c8-0d9a-5f8e-8cc2-23d05de1ff45.html

HERE's the countersuit! 

Over the course of a week in late April and early May 2017, law enforcement conducted searches of the Craigs’ business and residences, seizing more than $1 million in vehicles and equipment including multiple cars, trucks and tractors, motorcycles, a boat and trailer, golf carts, personal watercraft, various tools, paint sprayers and plasma cutters.

Here's the tricky part about the report of six stolen John Deere lawnmowers from Meade Tractor in Abingdon on April 22 of 2017. 

 Sheriff Fred Newman said at the time the zero-turn mowers (valued at $44,000) were taken out of a fenced lot, loaded onto a covered trailer and driven from the scene. According to the lawsuit, the vehicles used in the theft were a black Chevy Tahoe and a large, white box trailer — neither of which the Craigs own. 

 The day after the theft, Jerry Craig claims he purchased six John Deere Lawnmowers for $6,000 from a Daniel Helton (whom he met at a flea market in Abingdon earlier in the month). Shortly thereafter, Helton passed away, the lawsuit states.

 On April 24, Meade Tractor reported the lawnmowers stolen.

So the Craig family lawsuit makes 27 claims against the (law enforcement) defendants including unreasonable search and seizure, warrantless aerial surveillance, misstatement of facts, seizing items not specified in search warrants, seizure of property without due process, false imprisonment and negligence.

The Craigs are seeking $150 million in compensatory damages and $350 million in punitive damages in a $500 million federal lawsuit against three local law enforcement agencies claiming they conducted illegal surveillance and searches of their property, lied in court affidavits and seized their property without due process, as of April 2018

https://www.timesnews.net/news/crime/500-million-lawsuit-filed-against-three-local-law-enforcement-agencies/article_c3c0a55f-8ff3-57c3-8ce8-aac6ff0f3624.html