Lily duo charged with stealing tree out of yard

Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies say two Lily men were under the influence Monday night when they stole a tree out of a yard on Ky. 1023.

Michael D. Sizemore, 26, and Gentry Lee Jones, 31, were each charged with theft by unlawful taking of the value under $500 after deputies stopped their truck with the evergreen in the back.

“We don’t know why they took the tree,” said Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, the department’s public affairs officer. “That was no small feat.”

Deputies responded to a reported theft in progress and located the suspect vehicle, identified as a green Dodge pickup truck leaving that address.

“The suspect vehicle immediately turned into a driveway nearby where deputies conducted a traffic stop and found the suspects in possession of a reported stolen tree that had been pulled up from the ground without the owner’s permission,” Acciardo stated.

In addition to the theft charge, Sizemore was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence, while Jones was charged with public intoxication – controlled substance.

Both were lodged in the Laurel County Correctional Center.