GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (May 21, 2014) — Four men have been charged in a rash of burglaries that spread across several West Michigan counties, including Kent, Newaygo and Montcalm.
Investigators were able to recover a majority of the stolen items including a golf cart, compound bows, golf bag and clubs, a generator, a 20-gauge shotgun, Triumph Motorcycle, Chevrolet Impala and antique military paraphernalia.
Keith Scheidel is one the victims who has since got his property returned, including his 350 small block GM engine and a Borg Warner T10 4 Speed Transmission, something he describes as being one of only twelve currently for sale in the nation in its current condition/mileage.
Scheidel was getting his 79’ Z-28 Camaro ready for summer, he just got the car in August and was getting ready to put the engine soon when he woke up about two weeks to see that and his transmission were missing from the garage.
Kent County Undersheriff Jon Hess says the thefts happened the first week of May, among the three counties investigators received nearly 20 complaints. Hess says a tip helped break the case and in the process of investigating the break-ins, Kent County detectives obtained search warrants for a residence in Wyoming and a business in Grand Rapids.
Further searches were conducted in Hastings, Wyoming, Grand Rapids Township, and Cadillac. Hess says some of the stolen property had already been sold but he says a majority of the property has been recovered and claimed, he credits the quick work of detectives and cooperation among multiple agencies.
Four men (ages 17, 21, 22, and one juvenile whose age was not given) have been charged in Kent County in the break-ins, and other charges are pending in Newaygo and Montcalm counties. Hess says 21 year-old Michael Parris is the only one that has been arraigned in Kent County so far.
As for Scheidel he says he never expected to get the parts back, in fact he thought they were half way across the country by now and even though the project has since been pushed back a few weeks he says the goal to get it done is still moving forward.
