Stolen Chainsaw for Sale Online Leads to Man's Arrest

On June 17 detectives from the Wellesley Police Department were notified of sting by the Massachusetts State Police to catch people who were selling stolen merchandise.

Thomas MacMullin, 50, of 76 Warren Ave., Harvard, reportedly posted a Stihl chainsaw for sale online and made arrangements to meet with a state trooper posing as a buyer in a parking lot in Wellesley.

At 6:50 p.m. Detective Connelly observed a vehicle matching the description the MacMullin provided pull into the parking lot on Grove Street where the meet up was supposed to occur.

According to the incident report, MacMullin stopped the vehicle, opened the trunk and switched the license plate on the back of the vehicle before pulling away with the trunk still open.

Connelly checked the license plate in the state registry and discovered that there was a warrant fro MacMullin's arrest out of Barnstable District Court for larceny over $250. 

While taking an inventory of the vehicle before it was towed Connelly discovered a Stihl chainsaw with no paperwork in the vehicle.

In addition to the warrant charge, MacMullin was charged with receiving stolen property over $250 and stealing the license plate from another vehicle.

After MacMullin's arrest, detectives were able to track the chainsaw's serial number back to a store in Connecticut where it had been stolen. Using that information Connelly petitioned the court for an arrest warrant for MacMullin based for additional larceny charges.

When MacMullin returned to the station to retrieve the belongings from his motor vehicle he was placed under arrest for the second time.