MONROE — The second suspect in a rash of thefts in Brodhead in February 2018 has been charged in Green County Circuit Court.

A warrant was issued March 14 for the arrest of Ruslan Michail Fedorov, 24, Madison. He faces felony counts of burglary, taking and driving a vehicle without consent and possessing narcotic drugs, as well as misdemeanor counts of theft, receiving or concealing stolen property, resisting or obstructing an officer and possessing marijuana.

His codefendant, Thomas S. Kusch, 24, Madison, already pleaded no contest in August to three misdemeanor counts of receiving or concealing stolen property as a party to a crime and was sentenced to two years on probation.

Police arrested Kusch in Brodhead on the night of the crimes, but his accomplice escaped out of the city in a stolen Pontiac Grand Prix sedan.

Acc-ording to court records: Kusch told police he let Fedorov, who goes by “Russ,” talk him into rifling through cars throughout Brodhead.

When asked why they chose Brodhead, Kusch said, “Russ just wanted to pick a town to come to.” Kusch said he and Fedorov had been friends since the eighth grade.

Police reported finding numerous stolen items in Kusch’s vehicle, including loaded gift cards, a change purse, a pair of Oakley sunglasses and a pool cue in a case.

Fedorov is also charged with stealing the Pontiac Grand Prix out of a residential garage in the 1200 block of West 4th Avenue in Brodhead

Police interviewed Fedorov at the Dane County Jail three days after the thefts, but he denied any involvement. He told police he had gone out drinking with a friend in Madison on the night in question, gotten “blackout drunk” and couldn’t remember much.

But two people close to him told police they didn’t believe his story, and one told police Fedorov had admitted to stealing a vehicle.

The stolen vehicle was later found parked on Britta Drive in Madison, within walking distance of where Fedorov was staying with Kusch. DNA evidence swabbed from the vehicle linked to Fedorov.

Fedorov has a limited criminal record in Wisconsin. A 2015 Iowa County burglary charge was dismissed as part of a plea deal, with Fedorov pleading no contest to a misdemeanor trespassing charge instead. He was sentenced to a year on probation as part of that agreement.