A Nashville man faces a Level 4 felony burglary charge after police say he broke into a home in May and stole multiple items.
Justin Shepherd, 27, was charged Dec. 1 after an investigation that began May 10.
Shepherd broke into a home in the 4900 block of Long Street and stole a PlayStation 3, a laptop computer and two firearms, according to a probable cause affidavit by Paul Henderson, the narcotics officer for the Brown County Sheriff’s Department.
The victim told Deputy Scott Bowling that the burglar had entered through a window. The resident had been out of the house for less than two hours.
Two days later, Deputy Jacob Woods took a statement from a man who said he had been with Shepherd when the items were taken. The man told Woods that Shepherd said he was going inside to go “see” the victim, but exited the home with the stolen items and sped away in a vehicle, the probable cause affidavit said.
He said he was unable to reason with Shepherd to have him return the items. He told Woods he was able to get the laptop and PlayStation 3 back to the victim, but he believed Shepherd had sold the two guns for drugs.
The next day, Shepherd was arrested on a warrant in Monroe County. When Henderson and Deputy Brian Shrader spoke with Shepherd about the burglary, he denied taking the items, but stated that the firearms were “not where law enforcement believed them to be,” the affidavit said.
The Indiana State Police wiretapped phones while investigating the sale of drugs in Indianapolis. That investigation turned up a text message containing a photo of the missing guns. It was sent from a cellphone number belonging to the person Shepherd had allegedly sold the firearms to, asking to exchange them for drugs.
A warrant has been issued for Shepherd’s arrest.
