Man Arrested For Stealing $40K in Music Gear from Storage Facility

A man has been charged with burglary after Metro Nashville Police say he made off with more than $40,000 in music equipment from a storage locker in the Berry Hill area.

According to MNPD, the break-in happened in April at the Thompson Lane Self Storage facility. Investigators say the suspect, identified as Nathan Martin, and an accomplice entered the secured premises by tailgating another tenant as they entered the gate.

Surveillance footage reportedly shows Martin accessing the unit containing the music gear, possibly using a universal key. Police believe that key could have been obtained during an earlier burglary.

The owner of the stolen equipment, local musician Justin Walden, told media outlets that none of the missing instruments—mostly drum kits—have been recovered. He's also experienced a similar loss in the past.

“We had about $10,000 to $12,000 worth of gear taken from a storage unit,” Walden said. “I was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace when I saw two pieces of my equipment that someone had posted.”

Despite sharing that lead with police, no arrests were made in Walden’s case. His advice for anyone storing valuables in a facility:  get protection.

“The only real option is to have insurance, which thankfully I did,” Walden said. “Otherwise, you just try to play more gigs to make up for it—but as a musician, you never really recover from that kind of loss.”

Metro Police offered several safety tips for storage unit renters:

- Ask about the facility’s security measures before signing a lease.

- Install a personal camera inside your unit.

- Keep a detailed inventory of stored items, including serial numbers.