BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LOUISA — A Louisa business owner is battling the legal system in two states as he attempts to see justice prevail in a theft case that set him back a hefty $5,000.

Twin Rivers Wholesale owner William Lucas suffered the loss of a car hauler trailer valued at $5,000 during the evening hours of July 1 but thought the case would be quickly solved after he received a credible tip identifying the responsible party.

“We decided to offer a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thief that stole the car hauler,” Lucas explained. “And believe it or not, the man’s own family member turned him in. The old saying that ‘money talks’ definitely applies here.”

Once Lucas had the name of the allegedly responsible man, Steven Kirk of Inez, he was confident he would soon have the trailer back in his possession and the culprit arrested.

That is not the way it worked out, however.

Lucas soon learned that Kirk has a second residence on the south side of Columbus, Ohio, and allegedly transported the stolen hauler there to try and sell it.

“We were told we’d have to go through the Columbus Police Department since that’s where the hauler was now located,” said Lucas. “So with a bill of sale in hand and proof of purchase and ownership, my wife and I, along with two of our employees, set out for Ohio. Once again, I was wrong in thinking it would be a cut-and-dried deal, and we’d be hauling the trailer back to Kentucky with us.”