Springfield man indicted in connection with church thefts

A Clark County grand jury has indicted a Springfield man in connection with a rash of air conditioning unit thefts from churches and businesses.

Joseph Massie, 34, of 1018 Tibbetts Ave., was indicted Monday on six counts of theft, six counts of vandalism and a charge of possession of criminal tools.

Massie was arrested by Clark County sheriff’s deputies on Feb. 25 after detectives alleged they observed him stealing an air conditioning unit from the North Hills Church of God on Moorefield Road, according to court documents.

Detectives interviewed Massie after his arrest and he allegedly admitted to the theft of several other air conditioning units at churches and businesses across the county between December and February, deputies said.

He is accused of selling the metal from the units at scrap yards, according to a sheriff’s office report.

Massie is booked in the Clark County Jail on $65,000 bond and will be arraigned in a Clark County Common Pleas court later this week.

Clark Count Prosecutor Andrew Wilson reports the grand jury met Monday and the following indictments were returned:

Dawn Eliza Rivera, 37, 307 N. Church St., New Carlisle: Illegal conveyance of weapons or prohibited items onto grounds of specified governmental facility.

Timothy J. Cooper, 20, 1835 Mound St.: Violating protection order or consent agreement, complicity to violating protection order or consent agreement.

Jessica Leann McCombs, 20, 365 N. Isabella St.: Complicity to violating protection order or consent agreement.

Darryl Anthony Jackson, 24: Failure to appear.

Dion Gatewood, 34, 335 Fair St.: Aggravated Possession of drugs, aggravated trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs, trafficking in drugs

Lacie Henry 335 Fair St., 27: Aggravated possession of drugs, aggravated trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs, trafficking in drugs.

Joshua French, 30, 806 Mansfield Ave.: Domestic violence.

Roger Dale Frost Sr., 66, 1611 Portage Path: Receiving stolen property.

John Wesley Long, 21: Five counts of aggravated robbery, as well as having weapons under disability, kidnapping, failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer, improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence.

Erica Christina Cox, 28, 3005 Columbus Ave.: Receiving stolen property.

Christopher Dean, 31, 1715 Tibbetts Ave.: Failure to appear.

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