Kraig Eriksen, 41, of Mechanicsville
Kraig Eriksen, 41, of Mechanicsville, has been convicted of felony theft after admitting to taking a construction vehicle valued at $25,000 from a business, according to court documents. Eriksen pleaded guilty on October 9, 2025, to one count of theft between $25,000 and under $100,000, a felony under Maryland Criminal Law 7-104. He was sentenced on November 20, 2025, to an 18-month jail term with all but 180 days suspended and two years of supervised probation.
According to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded on September 8, 2025, to Lakeland Drive in Mechanicsville for a report of a stolen Bobcat loader. An adult male complainant told deputies the equipment belonged to a construction business and had been taken the night before. The complainant reported the vehicle’s GPS data showed movement from Bowie to Upper Marlboro before arriving at the Mechanicsville address where deputies located it. The complainant told authorities the loader was valued at $25,000.
Deputies made contact with Eriksen, who said he had purchased the loader the previous night and showed it to the responding deputy behind his residence. The vehicle—a white and orange Bobcat model S630 identified by its VIN—matched the description of the stolen equipment and had visible missing or damaged parts. A records check confirmed the loader had been reported stolen to Bowie Police.
Eriksen told the deputy he had arranged to buy the loader after seeing it listed on Facebook Marketplace on September 1, 2025. He said he met a man known only as “Wayne” at a gas station near Route 301 in Bowie, paid $1,200 in cash, and traded an e-bike for the loader. He stated he transported it home using a friend’s truck and his personal trailer. Court documents note Eriksen could not provide documentation of the purchase, and the complainant said he did not know Eriksen and that the loader’s keys had not been left with it.
Deputies also observed a cut strap, a blue flatbed trailer with no tag, and broken glass and wiring near the loader. The loader’s battery had been disconnected and required reconnection before it could be returned to the complainant and the business. Eriksen was arrested at the scene and transported for processing.
