by Aaron Gibson, April 7, 2016
Two men charged in connection with five burglaries were indicted by a Brown County grand jury on April 7.
Billy Chapman and Robert Weise have both been indicted on five counts of second-degree felony burglary, one count of third-degree felony grand theft when the property is a firearm or dangerous ordnance, one count of third-degree felony theft from a person in a protected class, two counts of fifth-degree felony theft, one count of fifth-degree felony theft from a person in a protected class, and count of first-degree misdemeanor petty theft.
Weise was originally indicted in March for charges related to two of the suspected burglaries. Both cases against Weise in Brown County Common Pleas Court are expected to be consolidated due to their similar nature.
According to the indictments, the two men are accused of committing five burglaries between late October and early December 2015, primarily targeting jewelry and televisions.
In the fifth burglary, Chapman and Weise allegedly stole a flat-screen television, various pieces of jewelry, and a .38 caliber Taurus revolver from a home on Mount Aire Road in Byrd Township, according to court records. Detective Rick Haney of Brown County Sheriff’s Office estimated the value of the property to be approximately $10,000.
Shortly after the burglary was reported on Dec. 2, Kelsey Price allegedly sold a portion of the stolen jewelry to Cashland Financial Services in Georgetown. A search warrant was then conducted on Dec. 4 on an apartment Price and Weise shared, where detectives recovered jewelry allegedly stolen in a burglary committed by Chapman and Weise at a North Pole Road home in Union Township.
As the investigation continued, on Dec. 16, Georgetown Police were called to a home to remove three squatters and discovered more property allegedly stolen by Chapman and Weise.
Brittney Conn, Chuckie Ratliff, and Trent Skeene, the suspected squatters, were indicted in March on receiving stolen property charges for allegedly possessing property belonging to the victims of the Mount Aire Road and North Pole Road burglaries.
Price was also charged with receiving stolen property in connection with the case and is expected to take a plea on April 12 in Brown County Municipal Court.
Chapman and Weise are currently in the Butler County Jail, per contract with Brown County, awaiting their next court date.
—Brown County Crime Reporter, April 7, 2016, 10:53 PM EST
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