KENTUCKY — An Edmonson County man has been arrested and charged with vehicle theft and drug possession, according to authorities.
Deputies say Edmonson County dispatch received a call Saturday around 9:20 p.m. reporting a stolen vehicle. The caller told authorities she believed she knew who had taken it and said the individual picked up the vehicle from a mechanic shop without permission.
Authorities say 43-year-old Richard Smith of Bee Spring returned with the vehicle early the next morning after it had been reported stolen. Deputies located Smith near the back of the property and said he was calm and cooperative.
Smith told deputies he took the vehicle because he believed the mechanic was not working on it properly and that he was trying to prevent the owner from being scammed.
During a search of Smith’s residence, deputies say they found methamphetamine and multiple items of drug paraphernalia.
Smith was arrested and taken to the Hart County Jail. He faces charges including theft by unlawful taking of a vehicle valued between $1,000 and $10,000, possession of drug paraphernalia and second-offense first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine).
