After reporting the theft of a political sign, a homeowner placed an Apple “AirTag” into a replacement sign and installed a camera near the sign.
That sign was stolen on Oct. 7 and the AirTag was tracked to a residence in Charlevoix County the next day.
Police executed a search warrant at the home and found 72 stolen political campaign signs, all for the same presidential candidate. They said the resident, a 27-year-old Charlevoix man, had a vehicle that matched the one caught on camera.
While police were at the man’s, they said his aunt showed up. She was interviewed and said she told her nephew she would pay him $10 for each sign he took that belonged to the presidential candidate. She claimed that this was a “joke”.
Sheriff Kevin Hoke said they take crimes of theft seriously and will investigate all cases.
“I’ve been here going on my 29th year, and in all those years, this is the first year that I’ve noticed a very large amount of larcenies that we have been taking with political signs. Whether it’s one side or the other side. We take it extremely serious. It doesn’t matter what political stance you take, whatever political sign that is taken that is considered a larceny. And that’s a crime,” said Hoke.
The man was arrested charged with larceny. He was also charged in two counties with concealing stolen property.