CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A man was arrested Wednesday after deputies raided a home suspected of being a chop shop, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
Wade Phillips, 46, is charged with operating a chop shop. He was booked Wednesday into the Clay County jail, and a judge on Thursday set his bond at $250,000.
Deputies said they raided a home on Hayton Avenue on Tuesday night as part of an investigation into stolen vehicles. Deputies said they recovered a Ford truck and Honda motorcycle reported stolen out of Duval County, a Kawasaki motorcycle reported stolen in Clay County and a Yamaha motorcycle reported stolen out of Los Angeles, California.
The next day, according to Phillip’s arrest report, deputies spoke with Phillips and a woman who owns the house. Their statements were omitted from the report. Phillips was eventually taken into custody.
On Thursday, News4Jax knocked on the door of the home, but no one answered the door.
Several neighbors told News4Jax off-camera that they saw different cars and motorcycles pulling up to the driveway. One neighbor agreed to speak on the record as long as he was not identified.
“I would say at least three or four a week moving through, and they were working on those all hours of the night,” the neighbor said. “Sometimes they would be out here working on them from midnight to 4 in the morning.
According to authorities in South Carolina, Phillips is a wanted fugitive facing a narcotic distribution charge.