Imagine saving up for months to spend thousands of dollars on something really important… only to have it taken from you without a refund.
Even the best of us can accidentally purchase stolen goods. While there are some indicators, such as the item being much cheaper than others are selling it for, there’s no real way of knowing.
Don’t expect a refund from your seller, either – they’ll probably make it as difficult as possible for you to contact them in the future. They’ll just be happy to have got rid of one of their incriminating pieces of evidence.
When Cody and Julia Jolley purchased a skid-steer in Utah, they never could have guessed it was stolen.
Cody needed the machinery for cutting lumber, and the couple also had plans to use it to remodel their backyard.
$11,500 is a big investment, but Cody and Julia thought they had managed to get the skid-steer at a steal of a price, as it had been listed on KSL Classifields for $14,000.
But things started to go sour pretty quickly after Cody’s purchase – and it started with a news article.
Cody’s friend sent him the story, which featured two men who had been arrested by Salt Lake City Police for stealing construction vehicles valued at $750,000.
It didn’t take long for Cody to realize that one of the men photographed was Derek Johanson, the 42-year-old who had sold him the skid-steer.
Cody said that his heart “just sank” when he put two and two together.
Julia agreed, adding:
“We both were just like, you got to be kidding me. We were just stunned, we were just stunned. I couldn’t believe it.”
There was no way that Cody and Julia could keep hold of the skid steer now that they knew it was stolen property.
Knowing that a construction company was missing one of its vehicles, they decided to return it as soon as possible.
The couple called the police to explain that the equipment was stolen – and that was that.
Julia recalled:
“I said ‘is there any scenario where we get to keep this, and [Cody] said, ‘no’. It’s a lot of money. It’s devastating. It’s a blow.”
But Cody added that he hoped most people would do the same thing. While it must have been a pretty devastating decision to make, he had enough heart to think about the business that had lost its vehicles, and how much of an effect it must have had on the owners.
Black Forest Paving in West Jordan was the business in question.
The owner, Earl Jolley, said that the skid-steer was stolen while they were doing a job in Millcreek. The theft happened in broad daylight, unbelievably, and had left Earl feeling frustrated.
As well as stealing his skid-steer, the men stole one of Earl’s trucks. When police arrested the suspects, Earl was grateful they had been caught.
Earl was also very thankful that Cody and Julia had been so upfront and honest.
He said:
“I’m pretty impressed with his integrity. Very grateful he did do that.”
The Jolleys were lucky to be supported by close friends, who set up a fundraiser for the pair. So far, donations from the public have reached $16,710 – edging closer to double the original $10,000 goal.
You can find out more about the story, and watch interviews with Cody and Julia, in the video below.
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