DARLINGTON - Two men arrested in connection to a number of thefts from vehicles in the area and a break-in at Benton Bible Church made their initial appearances in court Tuesday.
Blake James Hibner, 20, Montfort, and Aaron Neil Coley, 19, Benton, were each charged with a Class F felony count of burglary, two Class H felony counts of theft, one Class I felony count of criminal damage to a religious property and misdemeanor counts of theft and resisting or obstructing an officer.
If convicted of all charges, they face a maximum penalty of 29.5 years in prison and a fine of $75,000.
Hibner and Coley stole two handguns out of vehicles in December, according to the criminal complaint: a .38 long revolver out of a vehicle parked on Gibson Street in Benton and a loaded Taurus model .380 automatic pistol out of a vehicle parked on East Webster Street in Cuba City.
They also reportedly broke into Benton Bible Church during the night of Jan. 13, entering through the roof and breaking a window before taking the church's offering money, pop machine money and consuming water, pop and candy from the machine. They also allegedly tried to pry into a locker in one of the church's storage rooms but were unsuccessful.
The investigation also involves other suspects in connection to thefts from vehicles in other areas of Wisconsin and in Iowa.
Lafayette County District Attorney Jenna Gill asked the court to impose a $4,000 cash bail for each defendant, with conditions that they not possess firearms or have contact with Benton Bible Church. She said that cash bail was warranted due to their "crime spree" that covered Lafayette, Iowa and Grant counties in Wisconsin, along with counties in Iowa.
She was also concerned with their flight risk. She said Hibner and Coley had made statements about wanting to go to Las Vegas to avoid being prosecuted.
Gill added that both were uncooperative when the emergency response team, including officers from the Lafayette and Green County sheriff's offices and Monroe Police Department, executed a search warrant on Coley's residence at 289 2nd St. in Benton. She said officers had to dispense tear gas to force them out of the residence.
According to the criminal complaint, the guns were hidden inside a full oil pan at the home.
Public Defender Jane Bucher objected to the cash bail. Her clients don't have the means to post the cash or travel to Las Vegas, she said. Their talk of traveling to Las Vegas were the "hyperbolic statements" of scared young men.
Bucher requested that the court set a co-signed signature bond for Coley with his father.
Gill said she was concerned with Bucher's request as the incidents in question happened at Coley's father's home. She said there would be no supervision to ensure Coley returned to court.
Bucher said Hibner plans to reside in Shullsburg with a family member and hopes to find work. She requested the court set a combination bond of $500 on each case with signatures by his parents and use his mother's vehicle as surety of the bond.
Judge Duane Jorgenson said the way the thefts crossed state lines gave him "a certain amount of concern."
"What is problematic to the court is we have theft of firearms," he added.
Jorgenson granted Gill's request for a $4,000 cash bond for each defendant. Hibner and Coley have their preliminary hearings Tuesday.
Blake James Hibner, 20, Montfort, and Aaron Neil Coley, 19, Benton, were each charged with a Class F felony count of burglary, two Class H felony counts of theft, one Class I felony count of criminal damage to a religious property and misdemeanor counts of theft and resisting or obstructing an officer.
If convicted of all charges, they face a maximum penalty of 29.5 years in prison and a fine of $75,000.
Hibner and Coley stole two handguns out of vehicles in December, according to the criminal complaint: a .38 long revolver out of a vehicle parked on Gibson Street in Benton and a loaded Taurus model .380 automatic pistol out of a vehicle parked on East Webster Street in Cuba City.
They also reportedly broke into Benton Bible Church during the night of Jan. 13, entering through the roof and breaking a window before taking the church's offering money, pop machine money and consuming water, pop and candy from the machine. They also allegedly tried to pry into a locker in one of the church's storage rooms but were unsuccessful.
The investigation also involves other suspects in connection to thefts from vehicles in other areas of Wisconsin and in Iowa.
Lafayette County District Attorney Jenna Gill asked the court to impose a $4,000 cash bail for each defendant, with conditions that they not possess firearms or have contact with Benton Bible Church. She said that cash bail was warranted due to their "crime spree" that covered Lafayette, Iowa and Grant counties in Wisconsin, along with counties in Iowa.
She was also concerned with their flight risk. She said Hibner and Coley had made statements about wanting to go to Las Vegas to avoid being prosecuted.
Gill added that both were uncooperative when the emergency response team, including officers from the Lafayette and Green County sheriff's offices and Monroe Police Department, executed a search warrant on Coley's residence at 289 2nd St. in Benton. She said officers had to dispense tear gas to force them out of the residence.
According to the criminal complaint, the guns were hidden inside a full oil pan at the home.
Public Defender Jane Bucher objected to the cash bail. Her clients don't have the means to post the cash or travel to Las Vegas, she said. Their talk of traveling to Las Vegas were the "hyperbolic statements" of scared young men.
Bucher requested that the court set a co-signed signature bond for Coley with his father.
Gill said she was concerned with Bucher's request as the incidents in question happened at Coley's father's home. She said there would be no supervision to ensure Coley returned to court.
Bucher said Hibner plans to reside in Shullsburg with a family member and hopes to find work. She requested the court set a combination bond of $500 on each case with signatures by his parents and use his mother's vehicle as surety of the bond.
Judge Duane Jorgenson said the way the thefts crossed state lines gave him "a certain amount of concern."
"What is problematic to the court is we have theft of firearms," he added.
Jorgenson granted Gill's request for a $4,000 cash bond for each defendant. Hibner and Coley have their preliminary hearings Tuesday.