Over the past several weeks, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office has received several complaints and information through the anonymous tip line concerning possible stolen vehicles at property on County Road 18.  Surveillance confirmed suspicious activity, and officers went to the residence to question the suspect and heard someone flee into the wooded area behind the property. Cherokee County Investigators noticed several all-terrain vehicles, some of which were dismantled and showed signs of possible tampering that would indicate the ATV’s were stolen.

 Investigators obtained a search warrant for the suspect’s property. During execution of that warrant, investigators discovered the vehicle identification numbers had been removed from three of the ATV’s. The National Insurance Crime Bureau confirmed those ATV’s were stolen from locations in north Alabama and north Georgia.  

Warrants were issued for Russell Rhodes Maxwell, 49, of Centre, Alabama.  Mr. Maxwell turned himself in to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.  He is charged with two counts of first degree receiving stolen property and four counts of obscuring vehicle identification. He is currently being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center.

Sheriff Jeff Shaver expresses his appreciation to all the officers involved in the investigation including the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office Air Unit, the Cherokee County Narcotics Unit, and the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Unit.  Sheriff Shaver especially wishes to thank the concerned citizens who gave the Sheriff’s Office the information through the anonymous tip line. If you have information about criminal activity in your community, please call the anonymous tip line at 256-927-9999 or email him through the Sheriff’s Office website www.cherokeecountyalsheriff.com.