BONIFAY – There was enough concrete evidence in the case against Dwight Adams that a Holmes County jury needed less than 3 minutes to find him guilty of Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle Monday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Dwight Cedric Joshua Adams, 75, was found guilty of Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle and sentenced to 83 months in prison. The charge is a third-degree felony usually punishable by up to 60 months in prison, but the defendant’s lengthy criminal history including Robbery with a Firearm, Felony Battery, and Indecent Exposure pushed the minimum sentence above the statutory maximum.
Adams was arrested in Alabama by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office not far from where the stolen concrete truck was found wrecked in a ditch in July of 2024.
Holmes County Chief Assistant State Attorney Jacob Cook presented evidence that included video that showed the defendant stealing the concrete truck in Ponce de Leon. Alabama deputies found the truck and nearby they found the defendant. Surveillance video from inside the truck helped identify the defendant, but he gave a date of birth claiming he was 55, not 75. After further investigation they discovered his true date of birth and the accompanying criminal history.
“In Florida we have tough penalties for stealing motorized heavy equipment, especially when you have a prolific criminal history, now it is unlikely this defendant will ever have the chance to steal again,” Cook said.
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Basford thanked the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for its fast and collaborative work with Alabama authorities, and thanked the victim for his cooperation.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.