Alabama men accused of stealing golf carts from Mississippi residences, transporting them to gulf coast
Published 6:46 am Thursday, February 1, 2024
- Lou William Vallas and George Nick Zavros (Madison Police)
Police have arrested two Alabama men in a string of golf cart thefts from several Mississippi communities.
On October 24, 2023, officers with the Madison Police Department responded to the Reunion subdivision regarding a stolen golf cart that was missing from a resident’s home. Shortly after searching the area, the golf cart was abandoned at a residence a few miles away. While recovering the golf cart, officers received two more reports of a stolen 2018 F-150 truck and a 2022 EZ-GO golf cart from separate residences in the Reunion subdivision.
Later that same day, through investigation, it was determined that the stolen items were possibly in the Mississippi Gulf Coast area.
Moss Point Police Department officers located the stolen items in their jurisdiction parked in a hotel parking lot. The stolen items were recovered and returned to the rightful owners by Madison PD investigators as the investigation continued.
After several weeks of using numerous investigative resources, Madison PD investigators gathered enough evidence to identify two suspects, George Nick Zavros, age 41, of Irvington, AL and Lou William Vallas, age 46, of Mobile, AL.
Investigators collaborated with the US Probation Office in Mobile, AL and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and took Mr. Vallas into custody on January 19, 2024. Mr. Vallas was then extradited to Madison, where he was booked into the Madison County Detention Center under the charges of Auto Theft and Grand Larceny.
Contact was made with Mr. Zavros who agreed to turn himself in on January 25, 2024. He was also charged with Auto Theft and Grand Larceny. Once he surrendered, he was given a $45,000 bond and released after posting bond.
While conducting the investigation, evidence also led investigators to determine that Mr. Vallas was possibly involved in numerous other golf cart thefts in Gluckstadt. This information was passed on to investigators at the Gluckstadt Police Department who have also issued warrants for Mr. Vallas’ arrest.
The Madison Police Department would like to thank the Moss Point Police Department, the U. S. Probation Office – Mobile, AL, and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance. More arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
