***UPDATE***

MAYFIELD, Ky. (February 2, 2023) – Kentucky State Police (KSP), Post 1 has identified the suspect in the heavy equipment theft as James E. Slaughter, 19 years old of Blytheville, AR. Slaughter is currently wanted for charges of Theft by Unlawful Taking $10,000 < $1,000,000, Destruction of VIN Number, Criminal Mischief 1st Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument 2nd Degree.

Slaughter is described as a black male with black hair and brown eyes, weighing approximately 130 pounds and standing approximately 5′ 4″.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of James Slaughter is asked to contact Kentucky State Police, Post 1 at 270-856-3721 or anonymously at 1-800-222-5555. Citizens may also report tips anonymously through the KSP app. The app is available for iPhone, iPad and Android applications and can be easily downloaded free of charge through Apple and Google Play stores.

Original News Release below:

MAYFIELD, Ky. (January 11, 2023) – Kentucky State Police (KSP), Post 1 received a call from the owner of an equipment rental business in Mayfield on December 19, 2022 reporting the theft of a skid steer. The business owner advised that he rented a skid steer to an individual on December 12 with an expected return date of December 19. When the business owner contacted the individual for an estimated return time on December 19, the suspect reportedly claimed that the skid steer was stolen from an address in Paducah on the night of December 18; however, GPS tracking indicates the skid steer was taken to Blytheville, AR by December 13. The skid steer has been recovered from Blytheville, AR where it is believed it had been sold by the suspect who had rented it.

The suspect provided a false out-of-state identification to the business in Mayfield in order to rent the skid steer. The name he used was Mark Afanasev. While this identity has been determined to be a false identity, the picture used on the false identification is believed to be a real picture of the suspect. See attached image for the photo of the suspect.

The suspect was last seen operating an approximately 2014-2018 year model dark green Chevrolet Silverado four door pickup truck.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact KSP Post 1 by calling (270)856-3721. The investigation is ongoing by Trooper Rice.

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