MEDIA RELEASE
Date: March 30, 2012
Time: 4:30 PM
Sergeant Mike Narayan arrested Henry Joel Melendez Prestol for three counts of burglary, three counts of grand theft, six counts of dealing in stolen property, forgery and uttering a forged instrument. Two different horse farms in the Morriston area reported numerous thefts from January-March 2012. The Oak Ridge Training Center reported on January 16th that unknown person(s) stole a laptop valued over $600.00. On March 23, 2012 Oak Ridge Training Center reported that someone used bolt cutters and cut a lock and stole approximately 100 bags of horse feed.
On March 29, 2012 the Big Lick Farm in Morriston reported four horse saddles and a pole saw stolen. Deputy Scott Stancil received a tip that Henry Prestol may be responsible for the thefts at the two horse farms and he contacted the Criminal Investigations Division. Deputy Scott Stancil, Sergeant Narayan and Corporal Mike Bell began following up leads and questioned Prestol on March 30, 2012.
The investigation revealed Prestol stole the listed items over a three month period. The above Investigators and deputy recovered the stolen laptop, 76 bags of horse feed and the four saddles and returned the items back to the victims. Prestol admitted that he stole the items and sold the stolen property to friends. Prestol additionally admitted to stealing a blank check from the Big Lick Farm. Prestol forged the victim's name and uttered the forged check at a Williston business.
Defendant:
Henry Joel Melendez Prestol
14200 NW County Road 464B
Morriston, Fl.
W/M, 09/26/1979
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Major Evan Sullivan
Levy County Sheriff's Office
FBI-National Academy 183rd Session
Office: 352-486-5446
Cell: 352-577-4218