Three arrested for allegedly stealing construction equipment worth $72,000

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jason Grant Lewis, 47, and Justin Charles Lewis, 39, both of Gainesville; and Justin Spencer Smoak, 36, of Hawthorne, have been charged with two counts of grand theft after allegedly stealing a skid steer from a job site on Christmas Day.

The victim’s construction company was working on a project at Kiwanis Park (2002 NW 36th Avenue), and the skid steer was typically left overnight behind locked gates at the park.

On December 25, 2024, cameras across the street reportedly captured a white truck pulling a flatbed trailer that drove up to the fence at about 3:06 p.m. The cameras show three occupants in the truck; two stay outside the fence while one goes inside, drives the skid steer over to its attachments, picks up the attachments, and drives it to the gate. One of the suspects outside the fence cuts the lock on the gate and opens it, and the suspect who went inside the fence drives the skid steer onto the flatbed trailer. The truck drives away at 3:35 p.m.

The skid steer is valued at $70,000, and the attachments are another $2,000.

The victim posted pictures of the truck and trailer on the “Gainesville Word of Mouth” Facebook page, and a witness recognized that the truck belonged to Smoak and the trailer belonged to the Lewis brothers.

The witness, who had reportedly seen the skid steer at the Lewis residence, told the victim where to find it, and the victim went with a GPD officer to the Lewis residence to find it. The officer reported that he initially made contact with Justin Lewis, who said he had purchased the skid steer for $7,000 from Smoak but had no proof of the purchase. Justin Lewis also reportedly said he had learned that the skid steer was stolen from his neighbors, so he hid it at the rear of the property. He reportedly said the truck belonged to Smoak and admitted that after pictures were posted on Facebook, he, Smoak, and Jason Lewis had changed the appearance of the truck.

The victim had to rent a skid steer during the investigation, which cost over $7,000.

The officer reported that he had tried to contact all three suspects by phone, but they would not answer or return his calls. He filed sworn complaints charging all three men with grand theft of a motor vehicle and grand theft under $5,000, and warrants were issued for the arrests of all three men.

Jason Lewis was arrested on January 29. He has six felony convictions (none violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (none violent). He has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2020. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $100,000, and he remains in the Alachua County Jail.

Justin Lewis was arrested on January 28 and posted the $100,000 bail set by Judge James Colaw in his warrant. He is on pre-trial release following an arrest in August 2024 for driving without a valid license, third or subsequent violation; he was also booked at that time on a Marion County drug charge. He has two felony convictions (none violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served one state prison sentence and was released in 2021.

Smoak was arrested on January 29. He has six felony convictions (three violent) and eight misdemeanor convictions (none violent); he has served two state prison sentences, with his most recent release in 2019. Judge Meshon Rawls set bail at $100,000, and he remains in the Alachua County Jail.

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.