The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has announced a prison sentence in connection with stolen farm equipment in Madison County.
Darrell L. Hillis, of Van Buren County, was sentenced to eight years in prison, following his arrest last August.
An investigation by the Agricultural Crime Unit and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation led to Class-B felony charges of theft of property valued between $60,000 and $250,000.
Agricultural Crime Unit agents said Hillis stole a John Deere 7400 tractor and Tubeline bale wrapper from Woolfork Farms in Jackson in February of 2025.
The tractor was taken more than 700 miles to a Georgia auction company, with the owner locating the stolen property on social media just before the auction.
Investigators used a drone to locate the bale wrapper in a wooded area on the property of Hillis, approximately 260 miles from the Jackson farm.
The recovered items were returned to the owner.
