Man on federal probation arrested for stealing skidsteer
Staff report
HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Fermon Green III, 45, was arrested yesterday for stealing a skidsteer and altering it to disguise it; he was previously arrested in 2025 for stealing a tractor, but that case has disappeared from the court system.
The skidsteer was reported stolen in Putnam County, and a relative of the owner reportedly called law enforcement after he saw a yellow Ford truck pulling a trailer containing the stolen skidsteer in Hawthorne.
The responding Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy spoke with the witness, who described some blemishes on the skidsteer and custom work that had been done; he said the skidsteer on the trailer appeared to be freshly painted.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop on the yellow Ford and confirmed that the skidsteer had the blemishes and custom work described by the witness; there was also painter’s tape, a sign that it had recently been painted. The deputy noted that the vehicle identification number had been defaced in two locations.
The victim said he had observed a group of land-clearing workers in the area on the day the skidsteer was stolen, and the deputy reported that Green’s trailer also contained land-clearing equipment.
Post Miranda, Green reportedly declined to answer questions.
Green has been charged with grand theft over $20,000 and altering a VIN. He has eight felony convictions (two violent), two misdemeanor convictions (non-violent), and seven criminal traffic convictions. He has served three state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2024, and he is on federal probation for unlawfully transporting firearms. He was arrested in 2025 in a similar case after the owner of a stolen tractor saw his tractor on a trailer pulled by a yellow Ford truck; he was charged with grand theft over $20,000 at the time, but that case can no longer be found in the court system. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $50,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“he was previously arrested in 2025 for stealing a tractor, but that case has disappeared from the court system.”
Really? how does a case ‘disappear’ from the court system? I bet someone related to him works in the court system. Should be investigated.
He stole that, too!
This man seems to be an upstanding individual who is just misunderstood.
The victim of the previous theft left a comment on the last AC article, predicting that the criminal would be out in no time stealing another tractor. His prediction came true.
He may or may not have a relative in the justice system helping him, but there’s no need when Judge (you guessed it) Meshon Rawls lets him bond out for a measly $2,500.
S.obrien
July 30, 2025
So this dude pulls up to our shop goes around the back to avoid the cameras and knowingly loads our tractor onto his trailer and drives off. Obviously he’s not a smart criminal or he wouldn’t have been driving a stolen tractor in the same city he stole it in. We were lucky to find it. He’ll be out in a week stealing another tractor
https://alachuachronicle.com/man-on-federal-probation-arrested-for-stealing-tractor-worth-over-30k/
Nobody is going saying anything his hair? WTF is that on the back of his neck? Some kind of Afro-Mullet or something?
Again another POS on federal probation granted bond. This is a easy VOP.
Who told him to come to a college after previous jail stint?