Deputies Follow Tracking Device To Cocoa Motorcycle Chop Shop

A Merritt Island man who owned a motorcycle repair shop is facing charges for running a chop shop inside of it and some of the stolen bikes were from as far as New Jersey.

Deputies found more than $100,000 worth of motorcycles and parts inside JA Motorsports on US-1 in Cocoa. Sheriff agents used a device commonly placed on automobiles, a lo-jack device which tracks stolen cars, to track them. A stolen motorcycle had the device on it and it lead a sheriff's deputy right to the motorcycle shop in Cocoa.

Neighboring businesses said they rarely saw anyone at the shop during normal business hours. Just late at night. Investigators said that was because it was really a chop shop where as many as 100 motorcycles were taken apart, their parts sold and distributed.

When authorities searched the location they found 11 motorcycles. All but one was reported stolen. They also found all sorts of other stolen motorcycle parts with serial numbers removed or scratched out so they couldn't be traced.

Authorities said the man behind it all was 27-year-old James Atkins who had already bonded out of jail Friday afternoon. No one was at his Merritt Island home.

Investigators believe he was stealing bikes from Orlando, Jacksonville and even as far away as New Jersey. Deputies were stuck with the task of trying to figure out where all the bikes and parts came from and trying to get them back to the rightful owners.

Atkins was arrested for grand theft in June, but was released on $1,000 bond. Prosecutors had not filed formal charges in the case yet. Atkins will to answer to the new charges as well.