Josiah James Shively

CLAYPOOL — A Claypool man is facing 10 charges in two separate theft cases.

Josiah James Shively, 34, 201 S. Church St., Claypool, is being charged with five counts of theft, all count A misdemeanors; sentence enhancement theft, a level 6 felony; and four counts of theft with a prior conviction, all level 6 felonies. 

According to the affidavit of probable cause, on July 9, an officer from the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office met with a man who said that on July 6, he reported the theft of gasoline from his father’s residence. The man told police he had gone to his father’s residence and found that all the doors were locked. The man was concerned because his father is 97 years old. He used a key to enter the residence and spoke with his father, who said that Shively had been at the residence earlier wanting money. He refused to give Shively money and told him to leave, then locked the doors.

The man who spoke with police said he then called his brother, who said he had seen Shively pouring gasoline into his truck out of a gas can earlier, which he thought was strange. When he asked Shively about it, Shively reportedly said he would replace the gasoline. The man and his brother then discovered that their father’s gasoline can had been stolen. 

On July 25, according to court documents, a Warsaw Police officer was dispatched to Walmart in reference to a theft report. The officer spoke with an asset protection employee, who told the officer that a man identified as Shively had been making numerous fraudulent returns to Walmart.

Security footage showed Shively entering Walmart on June 16. The video showed Shively selecting a charger and passing all points of sale without purchasing the charger. Shively then took the charger to the customer service desk and completed a no-receipt return for the charger and was given a Walmart shopping card for the return.

Two similar incidents occurred in June, with Shively selecting items, not paying for them and then making no-receipt returns.

On July 11, Shively again attempted to make a no-receipt return but was denied due to having made too many no-receipt purchases. The monetary value lost by Walmart through these thefts totals $343.99. 

Shively was booked at the Kosciusko County Jail Wednesday, Aug. 14, on a $5,500 surety and cash bond.