Pair face gas theft charges
Staff writer
Implicated in thefts of gasoline at Simmons Towing and Auto Repair in Herington, two Marion men were charged Jan. 3 in Dickinson County with 15 criminal charges.
Justin Loomis and his alleged accomplice, Ronald L. Pierce, Jr., each were charged with seven counts of theft, six counts of criminal damage to property, and three counts of criminal trespass. The incidents took place over 11 days in September.
In September, Dickinson County sheriff Jerry Davis said the two were caught in the act of stealing gas from vehicles parked in the towing company’s lot and taken in for questioning.
Loomis is a familiar face in Marion County District Court, where he has been charged six times over the last two years. All the charges remain unresolved.
He was charged Dec. 30 with possession of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and stolen property and unlawful use of a driver’s license.
He was charged Oct. 12 with possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia and with driving while his license was revoked.
He was charged Jan. 7, 2021, with possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
He was charged Dec. 4, 2020, with driving while his license was canceled, suspended, or revoked.
He was charged May 14, 2020, with possession of methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
He was charged April 8, 2020, with forgery for allegedly writing a bad check on a closed account. He failed to appear in court Oct. 4 when he was expected to enter a plea on the charges.
Pierce was charged Dec. 23 in Marion County District Court with burglary, theft, and criminal damage to property after he allegedly broke into a storage unit and stole Legos worth $1,500 to $2,500.
He was charged Dec. 7 with theft and criminal damage to property after he allegedly stole a bicycle and damaged its handlebars.
He was charged Nov. 13, 2019, with theft of a cell phone accessory; Oct. 30, 2019, with criminal trespass; and Nov. 5, 2018, with possession of opiates.
In Dickinson County, he was charged with possession of opiates Oct. 26, 2018, and Nov. 6, 2017.
Thefts of gasoline and other items in the vicinity of the 400 block of S. 4th St., where Loomis and his sister, Ashley, reside, have become so common in recent months that neighbors have complained it has done no good to report them. At last report, the Loomis residence was powered by a generator.