Fourth Suspect Sentenced In January Break-In At Arnolt Bldg.
November 7, 2019 at 1:12 a.m.
By Amanda [email protected]
Mitchell Allen Dawson, 38, of 5829 W. CR 100N, Warsaw, appeared in front of Kosciusko Superior Court III Judge Joe Sutton Wednesday and was handed a four-year sentence to the Indiana Department of Corrections, all suspended to be served on formal probation, for a level 5 felony burglary charge. Part of Dawson’s plea agreement dropped the level 6 felony theft charge.
Dawson, along with Kylelaya Duff, 35, of 702 Ross Ave., Warsaw; Judd Emery Metz, 51, Goshen; and Allison N. Foster, 32, of 1796 W. Maple Lane, Claypool, were arrested in April 2018 after Warsaw police received a call that they were entering the abandoned building and stealing copper.
James Walmer, the caretaker of the Arnolt Corp. property at the time, told police he saw people entering the building and stealing copper wire and other metals. WPD installed surveillance cameras at the building, and on Jan. 21, 2018, got footage of several people entering the building with their faces covered. Police were able to identify Metz, court papers state.
Police spoke with Metz, who admitted that sometime between Jan. 14-24 he entered the building. The same day he found a lot of copper lying beside Clunette Road just off Ind. 15. He said he sold that copper.
WPD Det. Brad Kellar learned that on Jan. 21, Metz sold $342.05 of copper to Lewis Salvage. From November to January, Metz sold $907.97 worth of copper and other metals to Lewis Salvage.
Kellar also spoke with Dawson and told him that tools with his name on them were found inside the Arnolt building. Court documents state Dawson admitted that he, Metz and Duff went into the Arnolt building and used his tools to remove the copper from the pipes. Dawson said Duff opened a transformer to get the copper and oil spilled. He said they stripped about $10,000 of copper from the building over two months.
Dawson also admitted that Duff had his girlfriend, Foster, sell the copper at Lewis Salvage. He said copper bars were sold at Rochester Iron and Metal. Dawson also said he stole a tractor hood and antique items from the Arnolt building. He provided the hood to Kellar.
On Jan. 28, Kellar spoke with Duff, who admitted he went inside the Arnolt building several times. He said he knew they were going to tear the building down and wanted to try to get the rights to remove the scrap from the building. He said he was in the building in summer 2018 and two or three other times, including January. He said he had touched and looked at the transformers in the building. He said Lewis Salvage “hassles” him when he tries to sell items to them so he has Foster sell for him.
On Jan. 28, Kellar spoke with Foster, who said she sold scrap metal to Lewis Salvage that Duff had obtained. She said she did not know where the metal came from.
Kellar contacted Lewis Salvage and found Foster sold 400 pounds of copper to them for $1,024.50 in December. From October through December, she sold over $1,900 in metal to the business.
When Lewis Salvage asked Foster where the copper came from, she would not answer, according to court documents.
Duff was sentenced July 2 to 24 months in prison, all suspended to probation, for a level 6 felony theft charge. Duff’s plea agreement dismissed the level 5 felony burglary charge.
Foster was sentenced July 9 to one year in jail, all suspended to probation, for a level 6 felony theft charge.
Metz was sentenced Aug. 14 to 30 months in jail, all suspended to probation, for a level 6 felony theft charge.
All four co-defendants are responsible for paying $4,010.37 in restitution to Arnolt Corp.
Mitchell Allen Dawson, 38, of 5829 W. CR 100N, Warsaw, appeared in front of Kosciusko Superior Court III Judge Joe Sutton Wednesday and was handed a four-year sentence to the Indiana Department of Corrections, all suspended to be served on formal probation, for a level 5 felony burglary charge. Part of Dawson’s plea agreement dropped the level 6 felony theft charge.
Dawson, along with Kylelaya Duff, 35, of 702 Ross Ave., Warsaw; Judd Emery Metz, 51, Goshen; and Allison N. Foster, 32, of 1796 W. Maple Lane, Claypool, were arrested in April 2018 after Warsaw police received a call that they were entering the abandoned building and stealing copper.
James Walmer, the caretaker of the Arnolt Corp. property at the time, told police he saw people entering the building and stealing copper wire and other metals. WPD installed surveillance cameras at the building, and on Jan. 21, 2018, got footage of several people entering the building with their faces covered. Police were able to identify Metz, court papers state.
Police spoke with Metz, who admitted that sometime between Jan. 14-24 he entered the building. The same day he found a lot of copper lying beside Clunette Road just off Ind. 15. He said he sold that copper.
WPD Det. Brad Kellar learned that on Jan. 21, Metz sold $342.05 of copper to Lewis Salvage. From November to January, Metz sold $907.97 worth of copper and other metals to Lewis Salvage.
Kellar also spoke with Dawson and told him that tools with his name on them were found inside the Arnolt building. Court documents state Dawson admitted that he, Metz and Duff went into the Arnolt building and used his tools to remove the copper from the pipes. Dawson said Duff opened a transformer to get the copper and oil spilled. He said they stripped about $10,000 of copper from the building over two months.
Dawson also admitted that Duff had his girlfriend, Foster, sell the copper at Lewis Salvage. He said copper bars were sold at Rochester Iron and Metal. Dawson also said he stole a tractor hood and antique items from the Arnolt building. He provided the hood to Kellar.
On Jan. 28, Kellar spoke with Duff, who admitted he went inside the Arnolt building several times. He said he knew they were going to tear the building down and wanted to try to get the rights to remove the scrap from the building. He said he was in the building in summer 2018 and two or three other times, including January. He said he had touched and looked at the transformers in the building. He said Lewis Salvage “hassles” him when he tries to sell items to them so he has Foster sell for him.
On Jan. 28, Kellar spoke with Foster, who said she sold scrap metal to Lewis Salvage that Duff had obtained. She said she did not know where the metal came from.
Kellar contacted Lewis Salvage and found Foster sold 400 pounds of copper to them for $1,024.50 in December. From October through December, she sold over $1,900 in metal to the business.
When Lewis Salvage asked Foster where the copper came from, she would not answer, according to court documents.
Duff was sentenced July 2 to 24 months in prison, all suspended to probation, for a level 6 felony theft charge. Duff’s plea agreement dismissed the level 5 felony burglary charge.
Foster was sentenced July 9 to one year in jail, all suspended to probation, for a level 6 felony theft charge.
Metz was sentenced Aug. 14 to 30 months in jail, all suspended to probation, for a level 6 felony theft charge.
All four co-defendants are responsible for paying $4,010.37 in restitution to Arnolt Corp.
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