MONROE - Two men previously implicated but not charged in a string of area burglaries now face charges in Green County Circuit Court.
Nicholas Jay Batzler, 34, and Brandon Lee Garecht, 24, both serving terms in the same Illinois prison, were charged earlier this week with multiple felony counts of burglary and theft and misdemeanor counts of theft and criminal damage to property. Warrants are issued for their arrest.
Police say Batzler and Garecht and a third man, Brandon J. Disrud, 26, burglarized homes in May in the W8100 block of Apple Grove Road in rural Argyle, W6300 block of Iliff Road in Monroe Township and W5900 block of Melvin Road in Clarno Township.
Similar charges were already filed against Disrud in June. He's currently incarcerated at another Illinois prison.
A fourth man was also charged in June in connection to the burglaries. Ronald Mark Goodman, Sr., 57, formerly of Brodhead and now jailed in Rock County, is charged with helping the other three - all escapees from the Rock County Jail - in carrying out the burglaries.
Goodman faces three felony counts of harboring and aiding a felon, three felony counts of burglary as a party to a crime and misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving or concealing stolen property.
In all, $12,400 worth of belongings were stolen, including jewelry, valuable coins and a pair of Swarovski binoculars. A .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol was also stolen.
Not-guilty pleas are entered in the Goodman case, according to court records, and he has a status conference on the case coming up Oct. 15.
- Katjusa Cisar
Nicholas Jay Batzler, 34, and Brandon Lee Garecht, 24, both serving terms in the same Illinois prison, were charged earlier this week with multiple felony counts of burglary and theft and misdemeanor counts of theft and criminal damage to property. Warrants are issued for their arrest.
Police say Batzler and Garecht and a third man, Brandon J. Disrud, 26, burglarized homes in May in the W8100 block of Apple Grove Road in rural Argyle, W6300 block of Iliff Road in Monroe Township and W5900 block of Melvin Road in Clarno Township.
Similar charges were already filed against Disrud in June. He's currently incarcerated at another Illinois prison.
A fourth man was also charged in June in connection to the burglaries. Ronald Mark Goodman, Sr., 57, formerly of Brodhead and now jailed in Rock County, is charged with helping the other three - all escapees from the Rock County Jail - in carrying out the burglaries.
Goodman faces three felony counts of harboring and aiding a felon, three felony counts of burglary as a party to a crime and misdemeanor counts of theft and receiving or concealing stolen property.
In all, $12,400 worth of belongings were stolen, including jewelry, valuable coins and a pair of Swarovski binoculars. A .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol was also stolen.
Not-guilty pleas are entered in the Goodman case, according to court records, and he has a status conference on the case coming up Oct. 15.
- Katjusa Cisar