On Nov. 18, a person contacted the Michigan State Police (MSP) Alpena Post to report their truck had been stolen.
The person said they’d loaned their Ford F-150 to 40-year-old Ronald Lorn Martz from Alpena in June. The owner asked for the truck back in September and again in November. Martz told the truck owner the F-150 had been stolen.
The owner of the truck saw their vehicle for sale on Facebook Marketplace. Troopers interviewed the sellers and were told Martz had used the truck as collateral for a puppy they were selling.
Martz never made good on the purchase agreement, and they were selling the vehicle. The Facebook Marketplace sellers did not have a title for the truck and claimed they did not know it was stolen.
Martz was interviewed at the MSP Alpena Post on Nov. 20 and subsequently arrested and lodged in the Alpena County Jail. Martz was arraigned Thursday in the 88th District Court in Alpena County on one count Larceny by Conversion Greater than $1,000 but less than $20,000. He was given a $2,500 10% cash surety bond.
MSP issued a correction stating the Facebook sellers did not know the truck was stolen