MOOREFIELD TWP. — A 48-year-old Moorefield Twp. woman accused of stealing more than $110,000 worth of frozen bull semen pleaded not guilty Thursday to theft and breaking and entering charges in Clark County Common Pleas Court.
Karen L. Saum, of 3851 Mumper Road, was arrested July 1 after allegedly stealing a liquid-nitrogen storage tank containing a large quantity of bull sperm on June 24 from her former employer, Genetic Connections.
Genetic Connections, 5001 E. County Line Road, specializes in veterinarian artificial insemenation.
The nitrogen storage tank was recovered by investigators from Saum’s garage while serving a search warrant at her home, according to police.
Authorities also seized an SUV that they say Saum used when the semen was stolen, according to court documents.
“She knew where this semen would have been located. It was actually locked in an interior closet because it was more valuable than some of the other that they had out,” Det. James Hollopeter told WHIO after her arrest.
Saum planned to return the stolen semen to the owner of the bull in exchange for help to start a business of her own, officials said.
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