Local police have arrested two Jackson County men in connection with the theft of an excavator reportedly worth $40,000.

Amos Michael Andrew Fee, 35, of Crothersville is facing one count of theft, a Level 6 felony.

Brock Lyle Russell, 39, of Crothersville is facing two counts of theft, a Level 6 felony.

According to a news release from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, officers Zach Elliott and Clint Burcham assisted Jennings County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Mike Mowery in investigating a report of theft. The report stated that an excavator had been stolen in the 2000 block of North U.S. 31 in Seymour.

Officers said they began to question Fee and Russell, who told officers their truck, which was carrying a trailer, had broken down in the Indianapolis area. After getting the vehicle back up and running, the duo spotted the excavator at a nearby construction site. They proceeded to load it into their trailer and return to their home in Crothersville, where they hid the excavator in a patch of trees behind the residence.

The excavator, which is owned by MacAllister Rentals of Columbus, is said to be worth $40,000, police said.

Officers also said they located a generator on their property, which was stolen from West Virginia. Both items were collected and returned to their original owners.

Fee and Russell were arrested Sunday and booked into the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown, where they are currently being held without bond.

A Level 6 felony carries a sentence of six months to two and a half years in jail with an advisory sentence of one year if convicted.