Staff Report

Thomas Charles Earl

WARSAW — A man was recently arrested for allegedly stealing a vehicle and possessing drugs.

Thomas Charles Earl, 49, Branchville, is charged with theft and possession of methamphetamine, both level 6 felonies.

On May 22, 2023, Kosciusko County’s 911 dispatch center received an alert from Vincennes Police Department about a stolen vehicle in the Warsaw area.

A Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy located the suspect vehicle and identified its driver as Earl.

According to court documents, Earl said he purchased the vehicle in Elkhart on May 17, 2023, for $2,000. Earl said a bill of sale and title for the vehicle were in the vehicle’s glove box. Officers only found registration and insurance paperwork for the vehicle’s owner. There was no documentation showing Earl had any ownership of the vehicle.

A K9 unit made a positive alert on the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found 0.2 grams of meth.

Earl was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on Jan. 19, 2024, with a $5,250 surety and cash bond.