Five Arrested In Theft Connected To Criminal Gang Activity
KOSCIUSKO — Five were arrested after stealing a safe, cash and firearms from Deatsman Farms. Two involved are members of the Aryan Brotherhood gang.
Tracy Miller, 42, 1746 E. CR 700S, Claypool; and Mandy Linn Deskin, 41, 204 E. Union St., Ligonier, are each being charged with theft, a level 6 felony.
Scott Noble, 26, 14290 US 6, Syracuse, is being charged with burglary, a level 5 felony; and theft, a level 6 felony.
Mitchell Andrew Reynolds, 27, 1217 Magnolia Ave., Elkhart, is being charged with aiding, inducing, or causing burglary, a level 5 felony; theft, a level 5 felony; and criminal gang activity, a level 6 felony.
Nicholas Randall Garber, 18, 71 E. South St., Milford, is being charged with burglary, a level 5 felony; theft, a level 5 felony; and auto theft, a level 6 felony.
On Aug. 6, an officer with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of burglary and theft. The officer spoke with the owner of Deatsman Farms, who said somebody entered the business and stole a safe, approximately $20,000 in cash, two handguns, a Remington 20 gauge shotgun, a 22 caliber Remington rifle and a drone.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Aug. 4, officers with the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of a suspicious subject with a motorcycle at the Leesburg Marathon. The caller said a male subject needed tools to open the gas tank for the motorcycle because the keys broke off in the gas tank. Finding this suspicious, the caller contacted police.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the motorcycle parked with no one around it. Later, officers received information from the Noble County Sheriff’s Department that the motorcycle had just been reported stolen in Noble County.
Officers obtained surveillance video from the Leesburg Marathon and identified the male subject with the motorcycle as Nicholas Garber. After receiving information on Garber’s whereabouts, officers went to a Milford residence and found several subjects present, including Noble, Deskin and Miller.
An officer spoke with Noble, who was standing next to a fire. While speaking with Noble, the officer observed paperwork with the name Deatsman Farms at the edge of the fire. Noble said he was cleaning out a back shed at the residence. The officer noticed a safe dial, handle and safe fireproof clay laying on the ground.
Officers searched the residence and discovered a large amount of personal paperwork for the Deatsman Farms, as well as the firearms and drone stolen from the business. While officers searched Noble, they found $2,170 in his pocket.
Officers also searched Miller and discovered $500 on her person. Deskin was also searched. She had $2,950 on her person, as well as $1,000 in a band dated 2013. The owner of Deatsman Farms said some of the money in the safe had been there for a period of time and would have had an old band date on it.
Noble said his sister gave him the money. His sister denied giving him any money.
Miller said Noble gave her the $500. Deskin said Garber gave her the $2,950.
Officers went to another residence in Milford in an attempt to locate Garber. The owner of the residence said Garber and a second male subject, identified as Mitchell Reynolds, came to the residence earlier in the day with a 20 gauge shotgun and a new safe still in its box. Garber and Reynolds took $2,000 in cash with them and placed approximately $9,000 inside the safe. The two left the new safe and shotgun at the residence. The owner of Deatsman Farms identified the shotgun as stolen from his business.
Officers then obtained a search warrant for the new safe. Inside, they found a wallet belonging to Reynolds, an iPad, empty iPhone box, syringe and scales.
Officers located Reynolds and discovered $925 inside his vehicle. Reynolds told officers he and Noble cut open the stolen safe. Reynolds also said he received $5,000 from the money in the safe.
With the money, Reynolds purchased a vehicle and spent $1,500 at WalMart to purchase drugs, leaving him with $925 left over. He admitted he and Noble are members of the Aryan Brotherhood gang.
Garber admitted he stole a motorcycle. He also stole a truck while at Neibert’s Produce in Leesburg. While at Neibert’s Produce, Garber broke into the money box and stole cash from it. He used the truck and stole a safe, security system and firearms from Deatsman Farms alongside Noble. He said both Noble and Reynolds are attempting to recruit him into the gang.
Noble, Deskin, and Miller were booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Aug. 6. Reynolds and Garber were booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Aug. 8, each on a $100,000 surety and cash bond.