Sabine Parish Sheriff Aaron Mitchell reports the arrest of Joseph Harrison Mott II, 52 of Sulphur, for additional theft charges. Mott had a lengthy history of burglaries and thefts in Southern Louisiana.

 

Sabine Parish Sheriff Detectives have been investigating numerous reports of theft of fishing equipment around Toledo Bend Lake totaling thousands of dollars so far this year.

 

Detectives had little evidence but were able to get a vehicle description which was seen in the area of some of thefts.

 

Sabine Parish Sheriff Patrol Deputies amped up patrols around marinas and camps late at night.

In the early morning hours of May 21 Deputy Jacob Bridges saw a vehicle matching the description and caught Mott pilfering through boats at a local resort. Mott’s vehicle contained items that were reported stolen from another area that same night.

 

Mott was arrested for several felony charges and bonded out of jail a couple of days later with a $30,542 total bond.

 

After Mott’s arrest, Detectives were able to obtain several pieces of digital evidence which revealed a pattern in some of the thefts.

 

Then, on the weekend of July 23 more claims of theft of fishing equipment on the south end of Toledo Bend Lake were reported to the Sheriff’s Office. It seems a vehicle fitting the same description was seen in area around the thefts.

 

The vehicle is a white 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 4-door truck.

 

Detective Don Flores was persistent in these cases, and he reached out to Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Detectives. Mott lives in Sulphur and Calcasieu Detectives were familiar with him. Detective Flores sent the information to Calcasieu Detectives and search warrants were obtained for Mott’s residence, property, and vehicle in Sulphur, Louisiana.

 

Sabine Detectives Shelly Sepulvado, D.W. Seegers and Flores traveled to Sulphur on the evening of July 27.

 

Detectives, with the help of Calcasieu Parish Detectives, spent several hours searching Mott’s property and house.

 

Detectives located and seized over 70 rods, reels, and rod and reel combos. Detectives discovered and seized numerous boxes and bags of fishing tackle and baits, nets, life jackets, game cameras, binoculars, and other items. Detectives found and seized nine firearms and countless boxes of ammunition. Mott is a convicted felon and cannot possess a firearm.

 

Some of the fishing items were positively identified by victims of thefts at Toledo Bend Lake.

 

Mott was taken into custody and arrested. His vehicle was also seized and searched. More rod and reels and fishing tackle were located inside his truck.

 

Mott was booked into the Calcasieu Correction Center for nine-counts of Possession of firearm by a convicted felon and Illegal Possession of stolen things $1,000-$5,000. Mott’s bond was set at $55,000.

 

Detective Flores obtained additional arrest warrants for Mott based on some of the identified stolen items found in his possession.

 

Mott bonded from jail in Calcasieu Parish and was transferred to Sabine Parish on Aug. 3.

 

Mott was booked into the Sabine Parish Detention Center for two-counts each of Theft $1,000-$5,000 and Criminal Trespass. Mott’s bond was set at a total of $30,500 and he bonded on Aug. 5.

 

Detectives said Mott is a prime suspect in the thefts and burglaries along Toledo Bend Lake, Sam Rayburn Lake and possibly southwest Louisiana.

 

If you have had any fishing items taken from you camps or boats, please report detailed descriptions of the items to your local law enforcement agency.

 

Chief Deputy Brad Walker greatly thanks Sheriff Tony Mancuso and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office for their help and cooperation in this investigation.

 

Sheriff Mitchell and Chief Deputy Walker commend these Sabine Parish Detectives for their persistence and hard work in this case.