FARMINGTON — A Franklin County grand jury Tuesday indicted a Lang Township man on charges of burglarizing and stealing items from buildings in Strong, Dallas Plantation and Wyman Township in November 2021.
John L. Raymond, 35, was indicted on three counts of burglary and three counts of theft by unauthorized taking. He was arrested Nov. 29, 2021, after Franklin County Sgt. Jacob Richards and Deputy Andrew Morgan investigated the incident.
John L. Raymond Franklin County Detention Center photo
Richards responded Nov. 22 to a report of burglary at the American Legion Post 78 in Strong where he and representatives of the post found a broken door with broken glass outside and inside.
It appeared someone had rummaged through the building, emptied kitchen drawers and removed knives, utensils, serving trays and bowls, according to Richards’ affidavit filed in a Farmington court.
A storeroom was burglarized and ceremonial pistols, white belts, a wooden gavel and a golden eagle flag topper were reported missing. The Knights of Pythias, which is no longer active in the area, had shared the hall and stored items there.
Morgan responded to a burglary Nov. 21 at a camp in Dallas Plantation where a lantern and a hammer that did not belong to the owners were seized. Deputies were given a list of missing items.
Morgan also responded to a burglary Nov. 18 at a well pump station in Wyman Township belonging to ReEnergy Holdings. A DVR system, its backup battery and a landline phone were reported taken.
Investigators learned Raymond had been living out of his car, and on Nov. 24 they executed a search warrant for it. Morgan and Richards found property from the American Legion Hall/Knights of Pythias, including three wooden gavels, the golden eagle flag topper and a Rockwell power tool bag full of assorted silverware, three ceremonial gun holsters, three ceremonial pistols, two ceremonial belts and assorted burglar tools.
Also located were several items not first reported as stolen by the American Legion/Knights of Pythias. Richards planned to request an additional warrant for those items, namely multiple record books, Bibles, a white helmet with Post No. 78 on it, trophies, plaques, ribbons, tackle boxes marked with K of P, membership ledgers, “jewels” of their respective offices, magazines, scrapbooks and four swords with knight heads on the pommel in leather scabbards.
The missing DVR system and backup battery, and a landline phone from the burglary in Wyman Township were located. Also found were Dansko clogs, a leatherman engraved with the name of the owner and a blue lockbox that were stolen from the camp in Dallas Plantation. The items were identified by owners.
A burglary conviction is punishable by five to 10 years in prison. A theft conviction is punishable by up to six months in jail.
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