COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two Columbus men pleaded guilty to stealing various items in two separate incidents, including a heist where 162,000 rounds of rifle ammunition meant for police were taken.
Christopher Kimmel, 37, pleaded guilty last week to the following charges:
- Two counts of breaking and entering
- Three counts of possession of criminal tools
- Four counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle
- Two counts of grand theft
- Two counts of receiving stolen property
The prosecutor’s office said Kimmel and 32-year-old James Scaff broke into a warehouse in west Columbus in March and stole more than $70,000 worth of appliances.
In April, the two men broke into another warehouse on the city’s west side. While using a stolen delivery truck, Kimmel and Scaff stole two motorcycles and rifle ammunition that were scheduled to be delivered to the Columbus Division of Police. The value of stolen ammunition was worth $64,000.
“The fact that this massive amount of ammunition was released into this community creates a significant risk to the safety of the public at large,” said Anthony Pierson, deputy chief counsel for the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. “However, we are pleased that the responsible parties have been held accountable.”
Scaff pleaded guilty on Nov. 8 to multiple charges, including:
- Two counts of breaking and entering
- Four counts of grand theft auto
- Two counts of grand theft
- Two counts of receiving stolen property
- One count of theft
- One count of tampering with evidence
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15.
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