BEDFORD— A Greene County man is facing a felony theft charge in Lawrence County after a rented construction attachment went missing and was allegedly held “hostage” during a dispute with a local rental company.
Shane Patton, 29, of Bloomfield, has been charged with theft, a Level 6 felony, and criminal conversion, a Class A misdemeanor, following an investigation by the Indiana State Police.
The investigation began on April 2, 2026, when the owner of Tri-County Rental contacted Trooper Chance Humphrey regarding a grapple bucket, valued at nearly $2,000, that Patton had failed to return.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Patton told the owner and investigators a series of escalating stories regarding the equipment’s whereabouts. He initially claimed his skid-steer had been stolen with the grapple attached, only to later state that his own employees had moved the machine into a “mud hole” that was now filled with water.
Patton told Trooper Humphrey that the grapple was completely buried in mud and water on a property on South Harp Road in Bloomfield and that he was physically unable to retrieve it.
In an effort to recover their property without involving the courts, Tri-County Rental offered Patton a deal: if he paid a $500 retrieval fee, the company would send its own team to pull the grapple out of the mud and waive the reporting of the item as stolen.
However, by April 13, the equipment had still not been returned. The situation reportedly came to a head when Patton called the rental shop that morning, not to return the grapple, but to attempt to rent a dump trailer.
When the business refused the new rental, Patton reportedly told them they would get their grapple back “when they get it back” and hung up the phone.
During a follow-up interview with state police, Patton claimed he wanted the dump trailer so he could sell logs to raise the $500 fee. He admitted that while he had managed to detach the grapple from his skid-steer, it remained stuck in the valley behind a barn.
The financial breakdown provided by investigators highlights the cost of the dispute:
- Value of Grapple: $1,978.00
- Original Rental Period: Jan. 14 – March 11, 2026
- Outstanding Back Rent: $1,407.04 (as of April 13)
Under Indiana law, criminal conversion occurs when a person knowingly exerts unauthorized control over the property of another. Because the value of the equipment exceeded $750, the charge was elevated to theft as a Level 6 felony.
Tri-County Rental indicated they would pursue a stolen property report to ensure recovery of the equipment or its full value.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
