DARLINGTON — A man turned himself in after having a warrant for his arrest since January 2019 in Lafayette County for charges that he stole pickup trucks, a 29-foot utility trailer and other items from rural properties south of Darlington.
Douglas Joseph Rogge, 38, formerly of Crawford County and now of Ingleside, Illinois, made his initial appearance June 1 in Lafayette County Circuit Court via video conference. He is charged with four Class G felony counts of theft of moveable property with a value greater than $10,000, three related misdemeanor counts of theft and one Class I felony count of criminal damage to property.
Rogge also faces a more recent felony charge in Jefferson County, filed in April, alleging he took and drove a vehicle without the owner’s consent during the same time period as his alleged offenses in Lafayette County.
District Attorney Jenna Gill said she didn’t know why Rogge decided to turn himself in after almost a year and a half after the warrant was issued.
Gill said Rogge has several open cases throughout Wisconsin and Illinois due to the “crime spree” he and co-defendants Justin T. Zimmerman, 24, West Allis, and Lawrence M. Kasper, 23, McHenry, Illinois, went on in December 2018. Zimmerman still has a warrant out for his arrest. Kasper will next appear in court on June 15.
Rogge also has a warrant in Florida, Gill said. She noted he has not been cooperative with deputies in complying with a search warrant of his phone. She argued for a cash bond, given his record.
Defense attorney Jane Bucher asked the court to take into consideration that Rogge voluntarily turned himself in and has no ability to pay a high cash bond.
Judge Duane Jorgenson acknowledged Rogge turned himself in but noted that the stolen items in the case were quite large, with a high cash value. Jorgenson issued a $10,000 cash bond.
The criminal complaint alleges Rogge targeted four addresses and took:
● A 2018 Ram 2500 truck from the 15000 block of County K, along with a pair of sunglasses and a knife valued at $240.
● A black Dodge Ram truck from the 13000 block of County K, along with a Milwaukee cordless drill valued at $200.
● A 2013 Ford F-350 extended-cab truck from the 15000 block of Dublin Road, along with a wallet with credit cards and about $200 in cash.
● A 2015 Stealth 29-foot utility trailer valued at $11,000 from the 9100 block of R & K Road, along with two handheld radios and a pair of Vortex binoculars.
All three vehicles and the trailer have been recovered, according to police reports filed with the criminal complaint.
The utility trailer and 2013 Ford F-350 were found abandoned about a week later in a construction company parking lot in Chicago. The truck had sustained about $4,500 in damages.
The 2018 Ram 2500 taken from the 15000 block of County K was abandoned with an empty tank of gas nearby on Dublin Road. The black Dodge Ram taken from the 13000 block of County K was returned to the same residence.
A fourth vehicle, a Chevy Silverado possibly stolen from Grant County, was also found abandoned at the R & K Road property.
The criminal complaint cites surveillance video, highway toll violations and cellphone records as evidence.
Rogge’s own truck and several stolen vehicles traveling through the area were seen on surveillance videos at Lafayette and Iowa County businesses. Cellphone records reportedly show that Rogge’s phone was pinging off of cell towers located around Darlington at the time of the thefts.
On Dec. 18, 2018, Illinois State Police informed Lafayette County detectives of highway toll violations associated with the stolen truck and trailer as well as a truck registered to Rogge.