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Last updated on Friday, February 21, 2014
(BLOOMFIELD) - Detectives with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department has arrested two men involved in an auto theft ring.
According to Detective James O'Malley of the Greene County Sheriff's Department, he has been investigating the case of two stolen vehicle from eastern Greene County since December 29, 2013.
On Monday, warrants were issued of three suspects - two of them are behind bars.
44-year-old Edward A. "Eddie" Lawson II of Bloomington was arrested in Bloomington in mid-January and taken to the Monroe County Jail.
36-year-old Robert B. "Brian" Covey of Bloomington was arrested in mid-February and also booked into the Monroe County Jail.
One other suspect, Jason R. Hardy of Unionville, has not been arrested. Anyone with information on where Hardy is should contact police.
The Greene County Daily World reports that on Monday charges were filed in Greene Superior Court against all three men, they are all facing preliminary charges of two counts of auto theft.
The ongoing Greene County investigation attracted the attention of law enforcement in Monroe County and additional charges have been filed in Monroe Circuit Court against Lawson.
In Monroe County, Lawson is facing one count of burglary, a Class B felony, six counts of burglary, Class C C felonies, one felony count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, and one count of class C felony theft. In that case, his bond is set at $100,000 surety, and there are other criminal cases currently pending against him in Monroe County, one involving auto theft.
Other cases have also been filed against Covey in Monroe County. He is facing charges of theft and auto theft.
Police were tipped off about the crimes when an employee at County Line Auto, owned by Ivan Sparks and located near Solsberry, called the Greene County Sheriff's Department to report a theft.
They reported someone had forced their way into the office and several items were stolen, along with two vehicles - a white 1995 Chevrolet truck and a white 2004 Dodge Intrepid.
A Blooomington Police officers located one of the stolen vehicle, while working another case on January 16 and saw the truck parked outside a home in a trailer court on South Rogers St. in Bloomington.
The Bloomington detective then saw Covey exited the home. The officer spoke to Covey, who told police he had borrowed the truck from Lawson.
During an interview with Lawson conducted at the Bloomington Police Department, Lawson allegedly admitted he had stolen the truck from Ivan Sparks who owns County Line Auto. Officers also reported that Lawson provided the name of the third suspect to officers - Jason Hardy.
The three men are accused of traveling to Greene County with the intent of stealing the two vehicles. Both vehicles have been recovered and returned to the owner.
Both Lawson and Covey will face the pending cases in Monroe County, before being transported to Greene County on the auto theft case.
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