by Alison James for the FCT

alison.james@fct.wpengine.com

Russellville firefighter Michael Duane Hall, 33, 130 Pine Cove Road, Muscle Shoals, was arrested Thursday following indictment on theft charges.

“We had a mini excavator stolen from a jobsite here in Russellville,” said Chief Chris Hargett, recalling the incident that took place in late March.

Hargett said the department went a month with no leads until Huntsville Tractor reported that a caller had made inquiries on an excavator with a serial number that had been reported stolen.

The Russellville Police Department was able to obtain the phone information of the caller and trace it back to a Russellville firefighter. Eventually the excavator was purchased by a company in Muscle Shoals; when the company found out the piece of equipment had been reported stolen, the RPD was able to recover it.

Hargett said with the grand jury being held last week, they were able to move forward and get the indictments. Hall was charged with theft of property, first degree, and receiving stolen property, first degree.

Fire Chief Joe Mansell called the arrest an “unfortunate situation” and said, as is city policy, that Hall is on unpaid suspension until the outcome of the trial.