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An area man is charged with burglary and tampering with a vehicle after allegedly breaking through the gate of a charcoal plant with a truck and stealing items before getting the truck stuck in a creek on the way out.
Lonnie Leon Briley, 27, of Park Hills, has been charged in Washington County with second-degree burglary, first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle, first-degree property damage, and first-degree trespassing.
According to a probable cause statement from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, on July 19, Briley unlawfully trespassed on the property of the Potosi Charcoal Plant located on Fountain Farm Drive in Mineral Point.
The report states Briley forced entry to the property by driving his truck through the gate. The gate was valued at around $500. The man reportedly burglarized the property by loading his pickup truck with scrap metal and other miscellaneous items, worth about $1,500, from inside the abandoned buildings.
After loading the truck, the report states Briley was driving back toward the entrance when he ran off the roadway on the property and got the vehicle stuck in a creek. The man reportedly proceeded to tamper with the ignition of a John Deere 624H wheel loader to use it to get his truck out of the creek.
Authorities say Briley then used the front wheel loader in an attempt to get the truck out from the creek; however, he failed to do so, causing damage to the loader's front right tire.
At about the same time, a neighbor arrived on the scene and reportedly saw a bald man wearing a yellow shirt, matching Briley's description, flee on foot toward the rear of the charcoal plant. About 30 minutes later, Washington County Dispatch advised the Potosi Police Department that a man wanted to report his truck stolen at a Potosi apartment complex. The description of the stolen truck matched that of the one on the scene of the crime, according to police.
When officers arrived at the apartment complex to speak with Briley, there were clothes matching the descriptions in plain view. Police talked to the man's girlfriend, and she reportedly said Briley came into the apartment to change clothes and stated to her, "I was on a 'lick,' it all went bad."
Briley was booked at the Washington County Jail, and a $40,000 bond was set in the case. The man's bond was reduced to $30,000 at a court hearing on Tuesday.
The charging documents filed in the case indicate Briley is currently on parole for burglary and tampering. The man also has two other convictions and Department of Corrections commitments for burglary.
A search of Briley's criminal history shows that he has been arrested and charged with multiple prior offenses.
Briley was arrested in March 2012 by the Park Hills Police Department for stealing. The Leadwood Police Department arrested the man in April 2012 for theft of $500 or less and first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle.
In May 2012, Briley was charged with first-degree burglary and second-degree property damage in Farmington. He was arrested in June 2012 by the Leadwood Police Department for first-degree burglary. Farmington Police arrested the man for second-degree burglary in August 2012.
Briley was charged in October 2012 for second-degree burglary, theft, and first-degree property damage in Washington County.
The Bonne Terre Police Department arrested Briley on Jan. 13, 2013, for two counts of second-degree burglary, resisting arrest, first-degree property damage, receiving stolen property, and driving while revoked.
In more recent cases, Briley was arrested in August 2020 by the Pike County Sheriff's Office for possession of a controlled substance. He was charged again in December 2020 in Pike County for damage to the Department of Corrections building or property.
The criminal complaint in the newly filed case states Briley faces parole revocation and a potential sentence of 27 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com
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