February 18, 2016 at 6:02 p.m.
LdF men charged with string of 38 burglaries west of Minocqua
Duo accused of breaking into vacation properties
LdF men charged with string of 38 burglaries west of Minocqua
Robert J. Smith Jr., 33, is charged with 23 counts of burglary of a building or dwelling (as a party to a crime). Joseph J. Mitchell is facing 19 counts of the same charge. In addition to the burglary charges, Smith is also facing charges he possessed narcotic drugs and drug paraphernalia. All of the charges were filed Feb. 12 in Vilas County Circuit Court.
Burglary of a building or dwelling is a class F felony which carries a maximum penalty of 12.5 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000 on each count.
According to the probable cause statement included in Smith's criminal complaint, Minocqua and Lac du Flambeau police have been investigating residential burglaries of mostly vacation homes. Some of the burglaries were reported to police while others were discovered by officers on patrol.
According to the complaint, items stolen included TVs, DVD players, ice augers, snowmobiles, snowmobile gear and more. In all, there were 24 burglaries reported to the Lac du Flambeau police and 14 reported to the Minocqua police.
On Feb. 3, officers executed search warrants on Smith and Mitchell's separate residences in Lac du Flambeau, as well as Mitchell's girlfriend's Minocqua residence. Evidence at these three locations linked Smith and Mitchell to the burglaries, the complaint states. Evidence of drugs and drug paraphernalia were also recovered at all three locations, police say.
Smith was arrested during the search of his residence, and the report says he told officers he had "ingested an unknown amount of heroin."
On Feb. 5, Mitchell contacted Lac du Flambeau authorities and requested to speak to them. During an interview, Mitchell allegedly admitted to being involved in 19 burglaries in Vilas County and 14 in Oneida County.
According to the probable cause statement, Smith asked to speak to police on Feb. 9 and eventually admitted to 23 burglaries in Lac du Flambeau and 14 in Minocqua.
On Feb. 10, Smith and Mitchell met again with investigators from both departments. According to the probable cause statement, the two men drove around with officers and pointed out residences they claimed to have burglarized. Each man also said he had taken a weapon from a residence during a break-in, according to the report.
The two made their initial appearances Monday before Vilas County Judge Neal Nielsen and had preliminary hearings scheduled for March 7. Probation holds have been placed on both men.
Law enforcement sources say charges are pending in Oneida County and additional people may be charged in connection with the ongoing investigation.
Jamie Taylor may be reached at [email protected].
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