More than $209,000 worth of property recovered
UPDATE:
Monday, the Isabella Co. prosecutor charged Robert Frank Guynn, 32, from Weidman with breaking and entering, home invasion, and stealing tools. All the counts are felonies. He is being held on a $600,000 bond.
From previous story:
Law enforcement from six MidMichigan counties solves more than 100 breaking and entering cases and recovers more than $20,000 worth of stolen property.
The investigation has been going on since November of 2009, and now law enforcement says it's put an end to it.
Nearly a dozen four-wheelers and all terrain vehicles, several trailers, generators, space heaters, firearms, you name it, and it was stolen.
"It's more than we've ever seen at the sheriff's office," says Isabella Co. Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski.
The crimes happened at 104 seasonal homes that were broken into in Isabella, Clare, Osceola, Mecosta, Gladwin, and Roscommon counties.
Mioduszewski says, "Because the people were not living there, a lot of the reports of the breaking and entering wouldn't be coming in until months later. It's very difficult to get a timeline with that very difficult to gain any evidence."
A tip led law enforcement to 31-year-old Lucas Williams of Remus, 31-year-old Michael Dunklee of Mt. Pleasant, and 32-year-old Robert Guynn of Weidman.
They're charged with breaking and entering, with additional charges pending.
Law enforcement says the robbers didn't have to use their own equipment. They say the two Kubota tractors were already on trailers. They drove their truck up, and drove them away.
Investigators say, it was a crime of opportunity. They say the suspects noted the rural areas, no homeowners, and low traffic. Police say several stolen items were resold.
"I've been up in Clare Co. for 22-years, and I've never seen this type of recovery expense for any B&E's that we've had," says Clare Co. Sheriff John Wilson.
Some locations were hit up more than once.
Authorities say the they have more subjects they know are involved.
Detectives say the people they arrested admitted to stealing the items.
When they asked them if they thought they'd get caught, detectives say the subjects told them they hadn't thought that far ahead.
