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MARIETTA - Two men charged with more than 30 counts each related to a string of break-ins and thefts were among 16 people indicted this week by the Washington County Grand Jury.
Jason Ryan Stewart, 34, 1815 Rockland Ave., Belpre, and Joshua Michael McGee, 43, 812 Seventh St., Parkersburg, are accused of stealing a pickup truck and trailer, tools, crossbows, NASCAR collectibles, a TV and other items from residences, a storage facility and other buildings in Marietta, Belpre, Little Hocking and Whipple between Oct. 23 and Nov. 1, according to the indictments.
"It was a crime spree that kind of spread from West Virginia (to) Ohio," Washington County Sheriff Mark Warden said.
His department worked "hand in hand" with the Belpre Police Department, Parkersburg Police Department and Wood County Sheriff's Office on the investigation and recovering stolen items, Warden said. The indictments by the grand jury only deal with the incidents in Washington County.
Stewart and McGee are each charged with a first-degree felony count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, 16 fifth-degree felony counts of breaking and entering, four fifth-degree felony counts of theft, three fifth-degree felony counts of possessing criminal tools, two third-degree felony counts of burglary, two fifth-degree felony counts of theft from a person in a protected class, one fourth-degree felony count of grand theft of a motor vehicle, three counts of misdemeanor theft and one first-degree misdemeanor count of attempted breaking and entering.
Stewart has additional individual charges of fourth-degree felony theft from a person in a protected class and fifth-degree felony breaking and entering from the same period.
In a separate case, Joseph Brooks Starkey, 23, 719 Moore Ave., Belpre, was indicted on 20 counts related to a series of car break-ins and thefts in July and August in Belpre, the indictments say.
Starkey is charged with one count each of first- and second-degree felony engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, third-degree felony grand theft of a firearm or dangerous ordnance and attempted burglary, and fifth-degree felony breaking and entering and theft; nine counts of misdemeanor theft; and three counts of criminal trespass, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
Also indicted were:
* James Edward Beichler, 77, homeless; 15 counts of second-degree felony pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor from August. The charges involved allegedly downloading images of child pornography. An Aug. 25 release from the sheriff's office said detectives determined Beichler surreptitiously videoed and photographed women and children in public, but none of the charges in this indictment were related to those allegations.
* Jacob Andrew Johnson, 31, no address listed; two counts of burglary, one a second-degree felony and one third-degree, from November through March.
* Ryan O'Neil Nichols, 50, 341 Tadpole Run Road, Belpre; receiving stolen property and aggravated possession of drugs, both fifth-degree felonies, from May.
* Ramona Lee McCoy, 42, 509 E. Oak St., Davisville, and co-defendant Blaine Maxon Mackey, 44, P.O. Box 73, Waverly; one first-degree felony count each of aggravated possession of drugs (methamphetamine) and aggravated trafficking in drugs, both with a major drug offender specification, from Sept. 2.
* Kyle Dalton West, 28, last known address 1135 Richey Road, Zanesville; one count each of third-degree felony illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto grounds of a specified government facility, fifth-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs, fifth-degree felony breaking and entering and first-degree misdemeanor theft from April.
* Megan Nicole Gossett, 36, 19360 State Route 550, Marietta; one fifth-degree felony count each of possession of a fentanyl-related compound and aggravated possession of drugs, meth, from June.
* Cody Marshall Lilly, 38, 8415 State Route 550, Vincent; aggravated possession of drugs, meth, a fifth-degree felony, from June.
* Carlos Alberto Cruz-Rosales, 28, 696 Inman St., Unit 2, Akron; two fifth-degree felony counts of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, each with a weapon forfeiture specification, and one first-degree misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination from August.
* Tabitha Lois Church, 26, 33 West Road, Cutler; three counts of aggravated possession of drugs and four counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, all involving meth and ranging from second- to fifth-degree counts, from June and July.
* Joshua Okey Clift, 43, 104 Vista St., Marietta; two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs and one count of aggravated possession of drugs, meth, all second-degree felonies, from February.
* Gary William Rought, 21, 215 Fifth St., Marietta; illegal possession of a firearm in a liquor permit premises, third-degree felony, from February.
* Vance Edward Cross, 46, 13450 Brill Road, Stewart; one count each of first-degree felony possession of and trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound third-degree felony aggravated possession of and trafficking in drugs from March.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.