A pair of suspects arrested for weapons and theft charges are are said to be tied to a string of burglaries that have plagued other communities in southeast Kansas.
Iola police officers arrested Eric Knapp and Chad Ranes at Iola’s Crossroads Motel, after Knapp allegedly fired gunshots shortly after midnight Tuesday morning.
Officers found the gun in a motel room the two were occupying. The gun was one of several that had been reported stolen Monday by Jarod Franklin. Franklin told officers the guns and several other items were taken from his vehicle while it was parked in the 300 block of North Street.
Both Knapp and Ranes are being charged with aggravated weapons violations by a felon and possessing stolen property. Additionally, Knapp is charged with discharging a firearm without consent of the property owner and possessing certain stimulants.
Iola Police Sgt. Robert
Droessler said Knapp and Ranes have ties to suspects in custody in Chanute facing similar theft charges.
An investigation continues as officers from Iola, Chanute and Parsons work together to determine how many thefts can be tied to the suspects, Droesller said. Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents also have assisted.
“It’s become a sizable theft ring,” Droessler said.
Among the evidence uncovered in the investigation were items taken from a storage unit in east Iola. That burglary was reported Feb. 5, Droessler said. Another item reported stolen in November from a car parked at Iola’s Super 8 Motel also was found.
Iola Police Chief Jared Warner said officers continue to find stolen evidence as the investigation unfolds. He hopes to see the stolen items returned to their rightful owners as soon as possible.
“The officers have been running pretty much non-stop all week,” Warner said.
But even with the arrests, some items remain missing, including other guns taken from Franklin’s vehicle, Iola Community Resource Officer Mike Ford told the Register.
Allen County Crime Stoppers is asking anybody with information regarding the crimes to call toll-free (800) 22-8477 (TIPS) or submit a text message to CRIMES (274637). Text messages shoudl begin with “Allen” and then the message.
Those who provide information to these or other crimes are eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. Callers can remain anonymous.
Ford also urged the public to be on the lookout for the missing weapons, particularly if they see somebody attempting to sell one of the firearms.
