MONROE — DNA from a Pepsi bottle helped authorities track down a trio of men accused of stealing a Bobcat skid loader from a shed on a farm in the W3700 block of County C. 

One of the men, police say, drove the stolen skid loader out of town. Marc Schulz, 42, of Waunakee, pleaded no contest Thursday, May 30, to a pair of crimes related to the caper — receiving or concealing stolen property and harboring/aiding a felon. The court entered guilty pleas on his behalf. 

Schulz’s alleged role in the crime was to take the skid loader from the alleged thieves and drive it up to Coloma, where it was later recovered in a truck stop parking lot by Waushara County deputies. Schulz is alleged to have plans to help his co-defendants cover up the theft by changing decals on the skid loader, according to the criminal complaint.

Schulz was caught in part through communications with co-defendants. On Thursday, May 30 in front of Green County Circuit Judge Jane Bucher, he was given a deferred prosecution agreement and sentenced to probation for 36 months on the felony count of harboring/aiding a felon; and 12 months for the stolen property charge.

According to police, the theft occurred in the Town of Mount Pleasant just before 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 2, 2023. Authorities said it was quite an ordeal for the defendants to remove the used Bobcat 590 that Schulz would later drive to Waushara County. 

“The suspects would have had to enter the cow pasture, cut the bailing twine securing the interior tube gate to the shed door, drive the Bobcat through the cow pasture, and shut the exterior gate to keep the cattle from getting out,” said the criminal complaint, which added that some cattle, nonetheless were able to escape but were recovered.

The DNA sample from that Pepsi Wild Cherry bottle led police to a group of suspects that included Dustin J. Olson, 35, of Monticello, a co-defendant in the case, along with Mark Ubersox, 42, of Monticello. Other evidence, including tire tracks and fingerprints, also helped investigators make the arrests.

According to the criminal complaint, at the time of the theft Olson and Ubersox also were suspects in “thefts and possession of stolen property in multiple jurisdictions,” including neighboring Lafayette County. 

The pair were arrested during a search warrant executed earlier in the investigation by a task force of Iowa and Lafayette County authorities investigating multiple, high-value thefts. And they also had their phones and text messages searched for evidence. Among images retrieved were photos of stolen property, drugs, and cash. 

Olson was also charged with stealing a boat in Green County last April. The boat was later found broken up and buried on a property in the Town of York. Olson was also charged with possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, and he has been charged with felony theft in Dane County, according to court records.

Ubersox, meanwhile, is also facing another felony for his 7th charge of operating while under the influence. Ubersox, who also has been charged with possession of cocaine and burglary, has multiple court dates pending.