By KEN BRIDENSTINE
Six Utah residents were recently arrested in connection with a statewide crime ring that stole various items throughout Utah and Wasatch counties and even from places as far away as St. George, said Mike Spanos, sheriff for Wasatch County.
Heber City residents Scott Leinbach and Heidi Heller and Orem residents Shawn Christian, Christy McGee, Brian Simmons and Ira Walker are charged with various counts of burglary.
The stolen items were stored at multiple locations in Utah and Wasatch counties and then sold by the ringleader -- who police suspect is Scott Leinbach -- in exchange for cash or drugs, Spanos said.
During the investigation, the Wasatch County Sheriff Department and Utah County Major Crimes Taskforce recovered between $150,000 and $250,000 worth of stolen goods.
Some of the more unusual items included a box containing cremated ashes with no name attached, a camper shell, a wake board and power tools, including a boxed lathe valued at between $25,000 and $30,000, Spanos said.
'These guys were as brazen as I have ever seen anyone. There were some thefts that occurred out of some peoples' garages as they were sitting in their living rooms,' Spanos said. 'They would also drive right up to construction sites in broad daylight and just take anything that had any value at all.'
Authorities want to return the belongings to their rightful owners but are unable to because the serial numbers have been scratched off most of the items.
However, everything has been catalogued and the Wasatch County Sheriff's Department has set up a hot line for residents to call if they suspect something may belong to them.