Webster Co. burglary suspect arrested in Texas after six-month search, charged with felonies in seven different Mississippi counties

EUPORA, Miss. (WCBI) – An alleged crime spree across seven Mississippi counties, involving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods, came to an end in Sulphur Springs, Texas.

That’s where Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputies and Sulphur Springs Police caught 39-year-old Moses McLaurin.

“They caught him in the act of committing a burglary,” says Webster County Sheriff David Gore.

Webster County is one of the seven where McLaurin faces felony charges. Sheriff Gore says he is suspected of stealing $15,000 to $20,000 worth of tools and heavy machinery from a home on the north end of Stallings Road in January.

“Pretty much the same type of charges that he has had here in different counties where he has committed these crimes,” he says.

In November of 2020, the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department arrested McLaurin on charges of receiving stolen property. Specifically, a utility trailer worth about $1,000. Expensive vehicles have been some of the main targets.

“Most of the things were of good value,” Sheriff Gore says. “High-priced, higher-end items such as four-wheelers, expensive four-wheelers, side-by-sides and diesel lawnmowers.”

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office tried to arrest McLaurin, who is originally from Scott County, in March and found a building with over $300,000 worth of stolen goods stashed there.

“Trailers, I believe a boat was involved,” Sheriff Gore says. “Just a lot of stuff. This wasn’t just small-time stuff (either).”

Sheriff Gore believes McLaurin may sell the items he allegedly steals.

“He had a market going just from what I have seen,” he says. “I think it would be his business.”

And he has plenty of other questions.

“How did he know the stuff was here to take? That’s going to be an interesting question and it’s going to be an interesting answer,” Sheriff Gore says.

However, he is glad that they were able to return most of the stolen possessions to the rightful owners in Eupora.

“We were very happy with this and it does make you feel good when you can get the victim’s property back,” Sheriff Gore says.

The sheriff says McLaurin is facing Grand Larceny charges in Webster County and says others could follow. He says McLaurin will be extradited back to Mississippi though he does not know what the timetable for that will be.

“We’re going to have to wait in line because there are other counties that have warrants for him also,” Sheriff Gore says.