Hunter
04/15/21
A Cedar Rapids man who reportedly was found with a stolen trailer containing stolen solar panels has been formally charged after a search warrant discovered a stolen electrical motor from the solar panel company.
The Gazette reports that 38-year-old Jonathan Callanan was arrested back in December after Benton County deputies caught him driving a truck that had been reported stolen from Linn County. He was allegedly towing a trailer that had been reported stolen out of Hiawatha.
A search of the trailer reportedly found solar panels that had been stolen form Divine Engineering in Cedar Rapids. They had reported nearly 100 solar panels had been stolen between September of 2020 and February of this year. They were taken from pallets behind the business, and an electrical motor also turned up missing.
The Gazette says that investigators discovered that Callanan posted pictures of the panels on Facebook Marketplace. Those pictures showed serial numbers of the panels that matched those stolen from Divine Engineering.
A search warrant executed on March 31st at Callanan’s home allegedly found the stolen motor.
He was charged with first and second degree theft for the theft of the truck and trailer, and on April 1st, Callanan was sentenced to a five-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and 1 year in a residential facility.
Second degree theft charges on the solar panels and engine were filed Wednesday Callanan faces five years in prison on that charge.