Social Media Helps Find Stolen $55K Wheel Loader in New York

Imagine waking up one day to find that a 30,000-pound wheel loader magically disappeared. Sounds absurd, right? But that’s exactly what happened in Henrietta, New York earlier this month.

The story began behind The Ski Company store at Frontier Commons in Henrietta. On Saturday, December 1, a $55,000 piece of machinery - a 2000 Case 721C wheel loader—disappeared without a trace. The wheel loader, owned by A.P. Enterprises Property Services, was one of over 100 in their fleet. But missing a piece of equipment that massive isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s baffling.

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Sean Fico, president of A.P. Enterprises, couldn’t believe it. In a moment that could’ve been scripted for a Netflix mystery series, Fico turned to social media. "A wheel loader vanished into thin air!" he wrote, asking followers to keep their eyes peeled and offering a $5,000 reward for its return.

Massive Wheel Loader Stolen in Upstate New York Found Thanks to Social Media Power

Now, this is where the story takes an interesting twist. The Facebook post went viral, racking up over 2,000 shares. Three days later, someone spotted the enormous machine on a seasonal road in Livingston County—almost 40 miles away from where it disappeared.

"It was in a not-so-common setting, and low and behold, it was our missing machine!" Fico wrote, still in disbelief. It turns out, that even something weighing 30,000 pounds can’t hide when the internet gets involved.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the recovery in the Town of Groveland, and returned the wheel loader to the owner in Monroe County. And despite its unexpected adventure, the wheel loader was returned without damage.

Thanks to video footage from nearby cameras and fingerprints collected on-site, the investigation is now moving full steam ahead. And, true to his word, the passerby who located the machine will receive that $5,000 reward from Fico.