Three Selma men were arrested Sunday for allegedly running a theft ring that was responsible for stealing more than $12,000 worth of meat from a local packing and distribution plant.

According to Lt. Curtis Muhannad with the Selma Police Department, Derenic Moore, 33, Sylvester Johnson, 26, and Marcaz Smoot, 31, were arrested Sunday around 5:15 p.m. after being caught in the act.

They were each charged with first-degree theft of property, which is a class B felony and punishable between two and 20 years in prison and up to $30,000 in fines.

“The arrest occurred in the 100 block of Plant Street, which is within the city limits of Selma, at a local whole sale meat packing and distribution plant,” Muhannad said. “The arrests stem from an investigation into large quantities of meat products being stolen from the business.”

According to Muhannad, the three had been stealing meat from the plant since November 2014.

“The suspects would take a pallet load of product outside of the business and return later with their vehicles and load several boxes of meat product into them,” Muhannad said.

According to Muhannad, Moore and Johnson were workers inside of the plant, and Smoot was a security guard that manned the gate where the other two would enter the grounds of the plant and load their vehicles with the various meat products.

According to Muhannad, they were caught in the act of stealing the day of their arrest.

“On the day of their arrest, they had loaded 48 boxes, 12 pounds each, of various meat products into the vehicle of Sylvester Johnson,” Muhannad said. “The stolen product was stacked in the rear seat of the vehicle in plain view and in the trunk.”

Johnson, Moore and Smoot were arrested and transported to the Selma Police Department for interviews. They were then charged and booked into the Dallas County Jail on $30,000 bonds.