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Show Lindon men arrested in country's biggest heavy equipment theft Two Lindon men have been arrested and charged with stealing $3 million worth of graders and loaders over the last four years. A Lehi business has also been implicated in what law enforcement officers are calling the biggest heavy equipment theft in the I nation's history. Five men, two of them from Lindon, have been arrested and charged with steeling $3 million i worth of graders and loaders over ' the last four years. Robert Mattos and his brother-in-i law David Pettingill, both of Lindon, were arrested last week in Las Vegas, Nev., along with two California men, Floyd L. Bradshaw, Santa Cruz, and Ray Bradshaw, Carmel. A fifth California man, Inez Harris Gaxiola, was arrested near his home in Santa Cruz. The men in Las Vegas were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Philip Pro in Las Vegas. All five men will be returning to Utah to face a 31-count complaint charging the men with reselling the stolen earth-moving earth-moving equipment. Three other men are being sought in the thefts which officials say involved 30 pieces of heavy equipment, equip-ment, all worth about $300,000 each, since 1979. The stolen equipment was allegedly taken to Utah Tractor in Lehi where it was resold. According to law officials, the investigation which led to the arrests began four months ago when Duchesne County officials discovered that the grader they were buying from Utah Tractor for $90,000 was actually worth $140,000. Investigators found that the grader's serial number had been altered and that the vehicle had been reported stolen from Colorado Springs, Colo. Mike Schneider, owner of Utah Tractor, was contacted last week but said he couldn't make any comments on the case. Questions, he said, would have to be referred to his attorney. U.S. Attorney Brent Ward, who filed the complaints in Salt Lake City, said two Lehi businessmen had admitted participating in the operation and had identified other suspects, but refused to identify the men. He said they would be charged later in connection with the thefts. |