The Greene County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate a pair of business burglaries, but they may have also uncovered a larger operation.

Sheriff Jack Williams said the four individuals that allegedly broke into the Casey’s General Store in Scranton and the Sparky’s One Stop Gas Station in Rippey and stole alcohol and cigarettes appears to have been tied to several other similar crimes in other locations. He mentioned at the recent Greene County Board of Supervisors meeting earlier this week that through communication with other law enforcement entities, at least six other Iowa counties have reached out with connections to the suspects that were involved in the two local burglaries and it may have gone into other states as well.

County Attorney Thomas Laehn applauded the effort by the Sheriff’s Office and said he never worries about taking any criminal case to trial because he knows the evidence collected by the Sheriff’s Office is always solid and outstanding.

“The last time that we have had a successful motion to suppress in Greene County was in 2020. So we have gone five years. So it’s not only that we’re solving crimes but we’re doing it the right way.”  

Williams added that an executed search warrant from earlier this month in Boone, led to the recovery of the vehicle that was used in the two burglary incidents, as well as the stolen items from the convenience stores. Charges are pending completion of the investigation.