DARLINGTON — A Crawford County man has a warrant out for his arrest on charges that he stole pickup trucks, a 29-foot utility trailer and other items from rural properties south of Darlington in early December.
Douglas Joseph Rogge, 37, Eastman, was charged Jan. 15 in Lafayette County Circuit Court with four Class G felony counts of theft of moveable property with a value greater than $10,000 to $100,000 and four related misdemeanor counts of theft. A warrant for his arrest was issued the same day.
Rogge’s criminal record in Wisconsin most recently includes a felony burglary and theft case from 2007 in Walworth County. He took the case to a jury trial and was sentenced to four years in prison and three years on extended supervision. Court records indicate he was released from confinement two years early and spent the remainder of his sentence under supervision.
The Lafayette County case stems from a series of vehicle thefts Dec. 3 between midnight and 4 a.m., according to the criminal complaint. In each instance, the vehicle had been left unlocked and with the keys or key fob inside.
The 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 also 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, 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.
— Kayla Barnes contributed reporting