Dunn County charges dismissed against EC man accused of stealing guns in Spring Brook burglary
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MENOMONIE — A Dunn County judge has dismissed charges against an Eau Claire man accused of stealing guns in a Town of Spring Brook burglary but the charges were read into another case for sentencing in Eau Claire County.
Judge Rod Smeltzer dismissed the charges against Patrick E. Nolan, age 30, during a hearing in Dunn Count Circuit Court March 8.
Nolan was charged in Dunn County with one felony count of burglary armed with a dangerous weapon.
According to the criminal complaint, a Dunn County deputy was dispatched to a residence in the Town of Spring Brook June 25, 2017, on a report of a burglary.
The homeowner said he and his wife had been away on vacation, and when they returned June 25, the man noticed his son’s knife collection was missing, along with three firearms and two firearms cases.
The man thought the missing items were a prank, but when he called his friends, none of them confessed to taking the items.
The homeowner said the garage door had been closed while they were gone, but the service doors were not locked. The firearms had been on a work bench, and the knife collection had been on the floor.
The guns that were stolen included a Model 70 Winchester (estimated value of $700); a black 12-gauge Remington shotgun ($350); and a 20-gauge Tri-Star with a 26-inch barrel ($350). The Winchester and the 12-gauge had been in cases, and the cases were valued at $55, according to the complaint.
In Eau Claire County Circuit Court in February, six felony counts of bail jumping against Nolan were dismissed but were read into the record for sentencing, and Nolan pleaded no contest and was found guilty of one felony count of possessing an electric weapon and one felony count of possession of methamphetamine. Two misdemeanor counts of bail jumping and possession of drug paraphernalia also were dismissed but read into the record for sentencing.
Nolan was charged in Eau Claire County in two different cases with multiple felonies and misdemeanors related to burglary, bail jumping and drug charges.
Nolan was placed on five years of probation in Eau Claire County on each count for which he was found guilty, with probation to be served concurrently.
Nolan was ordered to pay restitution in the first Eau Claire County case, but on February 18, online court records indicate no restitution was requested.
During probation, Nolan is not allowed to use or possess any weapons, including knives, and is not allowed to consume or possess any alcohol or go into any taverns, bars or establishments where alcohol is primarily served or sold and also is not allowed to consume or possess any illegal drugs or possess drug paraphernalia.
Nolan is ordered by the court as well to participate in an Alcohol and Other Drugs Assessment and to follow through on any recommendations.
County jail
In the second case in Eau Claire County, Nolan was found guilty on four felony counts of burglary to a building or a dwelling as a party to a crime while one felony count of possession of burglarious tools was dismissed but read into the record for sentencing.
Two felony counts of burglary were dismissed as were misdemeanor counts of bail jumping, possession of drug paraphernalia and operating while revoked.
Nolan was placed on five years of probation on each count for which he was found guilty, to be served concurrently, and was ordered as a condition of probation to serve nine months in the county jail.
Nolan was ordered to have no contact with General Coin and Gun Exchange; C&M Home Builders; First Call Mechanical; Royal Construction; T&J Concrete Foundations, any Scheels stores, any pawn shops, and nearly a dozen different individuals.
Nolan also was ordered to pay $600 restitution in the Dunn County case.
Pawned
According to the complaint filed in Dunn County, Nolan told the homeowner’s son he had pawned the guns at General Coin and Gun Exchange in Eau Claire.
A Dunn County sheriff’s department investigator contacted the General Coin and Gun Exchange and asked if Nolan had been in recently to pawn guns, and a representative for the shop said Nolan had pawned three guns on Saturday, June 24, 2017, and had signed a bill of sale and checked the box, “is the article/firearm totally owned by you,” the complaint states.
Nolan was identified by a Wisconsin identification card.
The deputy who initially responded to the complaint contacted the General Coin and Gun Exchange, and a representative for the shop showed him the three firearms Nolan had pawned, which matched the type and description of the firearms taken from the Town of Spring Brook residence.
The deputy reviewed security footage from General Coin and Gun Exchange and observed a man believed to be Nolan, wearing a camouflage coat with a hat, had entered the store and turned over the three firearms to an employee at General Coin and Gun Exchange.
An Eau Claire County investigator reported Nolan had sold “numerous” items to General Coin and Gun Exchange that had been stolen in Dunn County, according to the complaint.