The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police has arrested two southern Illinois men following a yearlong investigation.
In June 2018, an investigation revealed a suspect, high on methamphetamine, broke into an IDNR storage building during daylight hours and stole multiple government items, including a MSA thermal imager.
Authorities discovered another suspect - who assisted in the theft - had active warrants in two counties. The Jackson and Williamson County Sheriff's offices located the suspect, which led to recovering the unit.
Brandon Rhoads of Goreville was charged, in Jackson County, with felony burglary charges to potentially include possession of burglary tools, burglary to a state owned building, theft of government property less than 10-thousand dollars, and possession of stolen government property. Rusty Leeper of Royalton was charged in Franklin County with felony possession of stolen Government property.
