July 9, 2007
Albany -- A Leesburg man pleads guilty Monday to stealing more than $100,000 worth of pesticides and selling them on the internet. The pesticides were stolen from an Adams Exterminators warehouse.
31-year-old Chad Cox was apparently stealing the chemicals and selling them on eBay. He got caught when his bosses detected the shortage in inventory. Now, he'll spend the next seven years in prison.
County Commission Chairman Jeff Sinyard says when he bought Adams Exterminators, he adopted a second family. "In 14 years we've not had this kind of activity," he said.
That's why he was so shocked to learn that one of his own employees was stealing from him. "Basically he would sell this inventory online, for his own gain," said Sinyard.
Monday morning, Chad Cox pleaded guilty to stealing $127,000 worth of pesticides and insecticides over a two year period. "He was taking a little bit each and every week, and the little bit added up very very quickly and to an enormous amount," said Sinyard.
An enormous loss for the company, and an enormous gain for Cox, at least temporarily. He sold the pesticides on ebay, shipping them all over the world. "When someone is taking away from you, that it makes it much more difficult to be able to do the things you want to be able to do for your employees, and of course to carry out your business plan you would like to and to, obviously do the things the customers expect."
Fortunately Sinyard says his customers were not in any way affected by the theft. "None of this ever left the premises. It never was in the field. It never affected any of our customers. It was something in house that we caught and we corrected in the strongest way we can."
Cox was sentenced to serve seven years in prison for the crime, another 13 on probation. Plus, he has to pay back the money he stole.
Chad Vincent Cox (Source: Dougherty Co. Jail)
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