Two Damariscotta men were arrested Friday, June 12 in connection with up to 19 break-ins around Lincoln County from May 13 to Thursday, June 11.
The arrests of Cody L. Beal, 21, and Christopher S. Gove, 20, were the result of a joint investigation by the Damariscotta Police Department and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The break-ins were in Alna, Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Jefferson, Newcastle, Nobleboro, and South Bristol.
Investigators received information that Gove had allegedly burglarized a storage unit in Newcastle and stolen coins, according to a Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office press release. He allegedly confessed to the crime.
Further investigation revealed that Gove had pawned “a number of items” at Maine-ly Pawn in Damariscotta, according to the press release. Investigators then obtained search warrants for cellphone activity and surveillance images.
The investigation led to Beal and Gove. “Both subjects were interviewed and admitted their involvement,” according to the press release.
Beal and Gove were arrested and transported to Two Bridges Regional Jail. Both have since been released on $5,000 and $2,000 unsecured bail, respectively.
The investigation is ongoing.
Beal and Gove “have primarily been stealing coins and jewelry,” according to the press release. “While investigators believe most of the incidents have been reported, there were a few summer homes targeted and there may be more left unreported.”
Investigators also continue to work toward recovering all the stolen items. “We’ve recovered some of the items,” Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Michael Murphy said.
All the burglaries targeted homes, with the exception of the Newcastle storage unit, Murphy said. In most cases, the method of entry was through an unlocked door.
The sheriff’s office asks anyone with information about the investigation to contact Detective Sgt. Ron Rollins at 882-7332.
In addition to Rollins, Detectives Scott Hayden and Terry Michaud, Sgt. Matt Day, and Deputy Ken Hatch participated in the investigation for the sheriff’s office.
Gove faces eight more charges for burglaries and thefts in Damariscotta: four counts of class B burglary, one count of class C theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, and three counts of class E theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, according to Damariscotta Police Department Sgt. Jason Warlick.
Class B and C crimes are felonies with maximum sentences of 10 and five years in prison, respectively. Class E crimes are misdemeanors with a maximum sentence of six months in jail.
Beal is also a suspect in the Damariscotta burglaries, according to Murphy. The sheriff’s office believes there may have been two additional burglaries in Damariscotta, he said.
The Damariscotta Police Department has responded to burglaries on Back Meadow Road, Egypt Road, Nissen Farm Lane, and Oyster Creek Lane since the beginning of June, according to Warlick. Officers collected fingerprints from the scenes.
All four homes reported jewelry and loose change missing, including a “unique” necklace and pair of earrings, according to Warlick. The victim provided photos of the items, which the department located at Maine-ly Pawn.
“That gave us our suspect,” Warlick said.
At the Damariscotta Police Department, Warlick and Officers Jim Dotson, Erick Halpin, and Kyle Sylvester each investigated one of the four burglaries. Both Murphy and Warlick described Maine-ly Pawn as helpful during the investigation.
