DeLand construction-equipment theft leads to arrest and prison sentence
Surveillance and interagency cooperation led investigators to recover multiple stolen items and convict a Pierson business owner in a construction equipment theft.
On January 11, 2025, a suspect operating a Bobcat skid steer stole a new pallet fork from a construction site at 425 S. Woodland Boulevard in DeLand; the theft was captured on a security camera. Detectives identified Joshua Tefft of All American Tree and Bobcat Services in Pierson, executed a January 17, 2025 search warrant that recovered stolen items from multiple states, and Tefft pleaded guilty on June 12, 2026; he was sentenced June 25, 2026 to 16 months in state prison, 10 years probation, and ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution.