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Affidavit: Search of Jonesboro man’s shop results in items found in connection with $72K multi-county thefts

Affidavit: Search of Jonesboro man’s shop results in items found in connection with $72K multi-county thefts

Photo: Contributed/Craighead County Sheriff's Office


Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Aug. 9, 2025 – Court documents show that an investigation into a series of thefts spanning multiple counties resulted in the arrest of a Jonesboro man, and at least $72,000 worth of items were recovered.

Craighead County District Judge Tommy Fowler found probable cause Aug. 8 to charge 40-year-old Kimbert Alvin Gregory Crafton with theft by receiving greater than $25,000. The arrest was the result of an investigation into thefts that have taken place in five counties.

According to the affidavit, on April 29, an investigator was contacted by Detective Joshua Simmons with the Blytheville Police Department about Crafton being in custody. He explained that when Crafton was arrested, he was in possession of a tractor that was stolen out of Ash Flat, adding that the trailer used to haul the tractor was suspected in being used in other thefts.

Simmons told the investigator that while searching the truck, they found a City Water and Light receipt with Crafton’s name on it for service at a shop building in the 100 block of County Road 960 in Brookland.

The affidavit said when the investigator arrived at the address, they found a red truck hooked on a large black gooseneck trailer parked in front of the shop. Several other vehicles were also parked in front. A front-end loader for a tractor in front of the shop beside the door.

The investigator said one of the vehicles returned to Crafton and a mailbox located in front of the shop had Crafton’s name on it along with the County Road 960 address. Behind the shop, a cab truck with a flatbed was also seen.

The information on the investigator’s findings was given to Simmons, who was familiar with some of the items being stolen from other counties. He went to the location and confirmed the gooseneck trailer and flatbed truck were stolen out of Trumann.

The tractor front-end loader was found to have belonged to the stolen tractor Simmons recovered. Other parts and accessories were also found and confirmed to have been stolen, including motors, batteries, and vehicle doors.

A search warrant was issued for the building, resulting in several more items being found including the following:

  • Three lawn mowers from a Lowes in Blytheville
  • A gooseneck trailer from Trumann
  • A flatbed truck from Sharp County
  • A Yamaha motorcycle from Paragould

The affidavit said other items suspected of being stolen were found, but there were no reports of items to confirm this was the case. These included four-wheelers, other tractor attachments, and tools. These items were left on the property, while the other items were taken by law enforcement.

The affidavit said on April 30, Simmons called the investigator, informing him that one of the tractor backhoe attachments found in the shop was confirmed stolen out of Mississippi County. The item was retrieved through a second search warrant. The total value of the stolen items was estimated to be over $72,000.

Crafton was arrested Aug. 5 for warrants out of other counties due to the thefts.

During Crafton’s court appearance, Fowler gave him a $25,000 cash-only bond, noting that he has an extensive theft history and several failure to appear charges.

Because he is wanted by other agencies, Fowler advised Crafton that even if he paid the bond, he would still be held due to the other thefts. He was also ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor upon release.

Crafton is scheduled to be back in court Sept. 30.

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