Stolen Truck, Merchandise Recovered

August 12, 2004

A suspect has been remanded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) following an investigation in Oneida that led to the seizure of a stolen tractor-trailer rig hauling some $2 million - to $4 million in computer merchandise.

The investigation began Friday evening when Oneida Police Department Officers Gerry Garrett and Alan Reed stopped a 2005 Kenworth tractor-trailer rig at the new Winfield Elementary School site on U.S. Highway 27 in Winfield.

The rig, which was driven by Oscar Armando Bueso, age 32, of Indian Town, Florida, had been reported stolen in Knoxville and a BOLO ("Be on the lookout") alert issued by the Knox County Sheriff's Department.

Bueso was charged with possession of stolen merchandise with a value in excess of $60,000, a Class B felony; as well as possession of burglary tools. He was arraigned in Scott County General Sessions Court on Monday morning, where plea of not guilty was entered. Sessions Judge James L. (Jamie) Cotton, Jr. appointed public defender Leif Jeffers to represent him. Bueso was being held at the Oneida City Jail under $1 million bond until he was transferred to the Scott County Jail on Monday.

The tractor-trailer, which was owned by Phoenix, Arizona-based Swift Transportation, was en route from Nashville to Massachusetts when it was stolen. According to the truck's driver, Alfor Turney, of Milan, Tennessee, he had stopped at the Petro Truck Stop at the junction of I-40 and I-75 in Knoxville shortly before 6 p.m. on Friday evening. When he came out of the restaurant "30 to 45 minutes later," the truck was gone.

After a report was filed with the Knox County Sheriff's Department, the BOLO was issued to surrounding law enforcement agencies. The truck was later spotted in Morgan County northbound on U.S. Highway 27. Scott County authorities were then notified of the BOLO. The rig was later spotted by Scott County Deputy Gary A. Sexton on U.S. 27 near the Scott County Hospital, and the Oneida Police Department was notified.

Officers Garrett and Reed spotted the rig passing the McDonald's restaurant and began pursuit of the vehicle, which eventually pulled over at the Winfield school site, which is located just north of Winco Home Supply. Three units from the Winfield Police Department and one unit from the Scott County Sheriff's Department also responded to the scene.

Bueso allegedly admitted to authorities that he stole the tractor-trailer rig and was placed under arrest at the scene by Officer Garrett. Later, OPD officers allegedly discovered a "burglary kit" in Bueso's possession. It was also discovered that entry to the vehicle had been made by breaking out a small window at the bottom of the passenger-side door in the cab of the truck, after which he allegedly hot-wired the tractor. Turney later said that the Qual Comm antenna (similar to the OnStar technology that can be used to track stolen vehicles) in the cab had been cut, but that Swift Transportation was still able to track the truck.

Because of a special lock on the Wabash trailer, investigators didn't open the trailer on Friday evening but instead waited for Turkey to arrive on Saturday morning. The truck was impounded overnight at the Town of Oneida's maintenance vehicle compound, located behind the Oneida Municipal Services Building.

After local offiers talked with an investigator from Swift Transportation, they learned that some 1,671 boxes of Dell Computers were on board. The merchandise was valued at between $2 and $4 million. In addition, the truck was valued at $105,000 and the trailer at $20,000.

Bueso reportedly faced additional charges in Knox County.

news@ihoneida.com

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