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SHS custodian charged with stealing from students
By BEN GARRETT
Independent Herald Editor
September 21, 2006
HUNTSVILLE — A custodian at Scott High School is among several suspects who have been arrested and charged in connection to recent thefts around the county, according to the Scott County Sheriff’s Department.
Joshua Adam West, age 19, of Helenwood, faces 12 counts of theft under $500 for allegedly stealing money from basketball players at Scott High School.
According to an affidavit filed by Detective Donnie Anderson of the Scott County Sheriff’s Department, West was employed at Scott High in March 2006. About one week after beginning his employment at the school, the affidavit states, West allegedly began taking money from the personal belongings of members of the boys’ basketball team. Team members left their belongings in the visitor’s locker room in the school’s gymnasium while working out in the school’s weight room.
The affidavit states that West admitted to taking money from the players’ belongings “for the rest of March, April and May, and when school restarted in August and September until he resigned” his job at the school.
West was originally charged with two counts of theft. The additional charges were added following a more extensive investigation by the sheriff’s department. West was arrested on Thursday.
West is one of four individuals that have been arrested and charged in connection with five separate thefts following investigations by Detective Anderson in recent weeks.
Among the others:
• Donald Lee Sexton, Jr., age 30, of Oneida, faces two charges of theft of property (motor vehicles), stemming from two separate thefts earlier this month. In one incident, Sexton was charged with stealing a 2005 Suzuki ATV from a Forrest Lane residence. According to an affidavit filed by Detective Anderson, the owner of the ATV returned home on September 11 after being gone several days and discovered his ATV missing. The ATV was allegedly used as pawn for a cash loan. In a separate incident, Sexton was charged for allegedly stealing a White lawn tractor from a Huntsville Hill Road residence. According to an affidavit filed by Detective Anderson, the owner of the mower returned home from work on September 8 and discovered the mower missing. According to Detective Anderson, a warrant has been issued for the arrest of a second suspect in connection with the theft;
• Lonnie Gene Byrd, age 34, of Pioneer, has been charged with aggravated burglary and theft over $1,000 for allegedly stealing 150 DVD movies from a Silcox Road residence. The DVDs were later recovered from a LaFollette pawn shop;
• Randy Lee Riseden was arrested on Wednesday (Sept. 13) and charged with theft over $1,000 for the August 28 theft of a Toshiba 27-inch flat screen television, a Playstation game console and several Playstation video games from a residence at Cedar Hill Trailer Park.
“I want to commend Detective Anderson for his very hard efforts over the past two weeks,” Sheriff Anthony Lay said. “He has put in 16-to-18 hours per day and is doing a terrific job cleaning up thefts and burglaries in our community.
“Detective Anderson and I share the same belief that people have a right to have their personal property in their house when they return home,” Lay added. “We’ll work our four years to keep burglaries down and thieves in jail.”
news@ihoneida.com
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