4 charged with 'cleaning out' shop building

Four Tullahoma men have been arrested after confessing to stealing over $20,000 worth of property from a shop building on U.S. 41A South.

Arrested were:

* Justin Trey Burnette, 23, S. Franklin St., Tullahoma;

* Matthew Robert Olejniczak, 23, Ridgelawn Place, Tullahoma;

* Michael Dylan Troupe, 25, Sims Lane, Tullahoma;

* Richard David Allen, 21, Sims Lane, Tullahoma.

All four have been charged with burglary and theft over $10,000 while Troupe has an additional charge of introducing contraband into a penal institution.

Olejniczak turned himself in to sheriff officials on Wednesday afternoon, as did Troupe

Detective Brian Farris of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department said they have recovered a substantial amount of the items taken,

According to a report by Deputy Caleb Doak dated July 28, the victim said that someone had entered his shop on U.S. 41A South, and the way Farris described the break-in, "He was cleaned out, I mean they literally cleaned him out ... to the point that he couldn't work."

Among the many items the four allegedly took were a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle, a large Matco toolbox with tools, welding equipment, stereo equipment, a $3,500 steam cleaner as well as another pressure washer, and a long list of power tools and tool sets -- a total value of over $20,000.

The detective stated that the suspects alleged went to the shop over a series of four nights, taking a few items, but on the third night, they took much of the tools and equipment and put it in a pile in the middle of the shop floor, loading everything onto a truck the final night and taking it.

Farris said a break in the case came when the motorcycle was discovered wrecked in Tullahoma several days after it was taken, and officials conducted their investigation there

The person who left the scene of the crash "gave a bogus name," Farris said, but they were able to track him down.

"Once we discovered that, the house of cards started falling," Farris said, adding that they were able to develop leads over a period of two to three weeks that lead them to the suspects.

While on one trip to Tullahoma to hunt for the culprits, Burnette was spotted and officials attempted a traffic stop, but Burnette fled at high speed and Farris stated they did not want to endanger the public with a chase.

But officers paid a visit to Burnette's place of work in Tullahoma, where he was arrested, although Farris stated that he tried to hide under a car from officers searching for him.

"Once that we got onto these gentlemen, they knew it," Farris said. "And we got confessions from each one of them."

Farris said the investigation is ongoing, with detectives trying to determine if the four are involved in any other criminal activity