Fayetteville man arrested for stealing thousands of tons of dirt

SENOIA, Ga. - A Fayetteville man was arrested for stealing and selling more than 3,000 tons of dirt from a woman’s property in Senoia.

Dennis Smith, 65, of Fayetteville, was arrested after Senoia police said more than 183 dump truck loads of dirt were excavated and stolen from the property without the owner’s knowledge.

WATCH: An aerial view shows just how much dirt was stolen

Investigators describe Smith as a dirt broker, someone who finds dirt for contractors working in the area. Police said Smith told a contractor he had permission from the land owner to remove dirt from the property. Police said not only was that a lie, but the property owner he identified as giving him permission had been dead since 2015. The property was now owned by the owner’s widow, a woman in her 80s who knew of no dirt deal.

A truckload of dirt holds about 18 tons; multiply that by 183 and that’s enough dirt to cover an entire football field, a foot and a half deep.

Police said the contractor who removed the dirt is also an innocent victim in the case. They said he repaired the property to make it look better.

Smith was charged with theft by deception and forgery in the first degree. He has since bonded out of the Coweta County Jail.

No word on Smith’s next court date.