- Dereck Thomas turned himself in to police after being stopped while driving the stolen Chevy.
- The 33-year-old ex-police officer was towing a stolen trailer and lawn mower.
- Thomas was booked into Camden County Jail after turning himself in.
A former police officer at the Kingsland Police Department in Georgia has turned himself in and been charged with seven counts related to his involvement in the theft of a Chevrolet Silverado, a trailer, and a lawn mower. While the investigation is still ongoing, if convicted, 33-year-old Dereck Thomas could be looking at quite a hefty sentence.
According to the Kingsland Police Department, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in on November 26, 2024, to probe the theft of a 2018 Chevrolet Silverado, snatched from the lot at the local Bennett Chrysler dealership.
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Initially, it appears the trail went cold, but things changed on June 25, 2026, when the truck was stopped at an inspection station, not in Georgia, but rather in Yulee, Florida. Behind the wheel of the stolen truck was Thomas. As it turns out, the Chevy wasn’t the only stolen piece of property he had.
Caught Red Handed
Hooked up to the back of the Silverado was a trailer that had previously been reported stolen, this time from the Camden County School System. Sitting on this trailer was a lawn mower. You’ll be unsurprised to learn that it too had been reported stolen, this time from the same dealership as the Chevy. He was also found to be in possession of two tablets from the Glynn County Police Department.
There’s no word on why the police officer thought it would be a good idea to drive around in a stolen truck, with a stolen trailer, and a stolen mower, but perhaps he was planning to start his own lawn mowing business, or simply had a large garden he needed to maintain? Either way, he’s now probably regretting the thefts.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says Thomas was still employed with the Kingsland Police Department, but was later terminated. Curiously, he wasn’t arrested at the time of the traffic stop, but on September 16, he turned himself in and was sent to the Camden County Jail.
The former officer has been charged with three counts of felony theft by receiving, one count of filing false documents, one count of violation of oath of office, one count of felony removal or falsification of an identification number, and one count of felony theft by taking.
