BAKERSFIELD, Ca. – People in the nut community are breathing a huge sigh of relief after Kern County Sheriff’s detectives arrested a man for attempting to steal $100,000 worth of almonds, Thursday.
Officials from Inland Express believe they contracted a fraudulent company to haul the $100K load of nuts from Sunny Gem in Wasco to North Carolina. After suspecting that theft was the real motive, officials contacted the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Rural Crime Investigation Unit.
Detectives said that upon arriving in Sunny Gem, they found the suspect, Francisco Javier Lopez Martinez, with a semi-truck and trailer. He was allegedly in possession of a fake driver’s license, fake immigration documents, fake company emblems on his semi-truck and a stolen license plate on his trailer.
Francisco Javier Lopez Martinez was arrested and booked into the Central Receiving Facility on charges of possession of false documents, grand theft, forged seals, possession of stolen property, conspiracy and forgery.
Reportedly unavailable for comment was Francisco Javier Lopez Martinez.