Sep 2, 2013 3 min read

State police asked for a warrant against a Morgan Township man, currently being held in Greene County Prison for contempt of court.

The warrant is in relation to burglaries July 4 at two apartments, located at 38 A St. in Clarksville.

Justin Larry Gene Whipkey, 24, was on house arrest for a previous conviction when police came to question him July 4. They told Whipkey they would be back the following day. When they returned July 5, Whipkey had fled after first cutting off his ankle bracelet and removing his belongings, police said.

The current charges, for the July 5 burglary, including two counts of burglary, two counts of criminal trespass, two counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, were filed Aug. 28 before Greene County Magisterial District Judge Glenn Bates.

Police said they were called by the renters of apartment No. 1, Ronnie Vuono, Jr. and Sara Wright when they returned home from watching fireworks to find several items missing.

According to the criminal complaint, Vuono and Wright told police they saw their Whipkey, who was a neighbor, and another neighbor, Doug Riley, outside of the home when they left.

Upon returning, they realized an XBox 360 game system, controllers and a game were missing. The tenant in apartment No. 2, Kelly Wayne Daniels, told police a 39 inch flat-screen television and a set of starter checks were missing from that apartment.

Another neighbor told state police that Riley was standing outside of the 38 A St. address around 1 p.m. with a flat screen television. The last time the television was known by its owner to be present in the apartment was around 11 a.m.

Riley told police that Whipkey left their shared apartment around 1 p.m. When he returned, he allegedly told Riley to go out back and get a television to take to the pawn shop. Riley told police he got the TV and took it to a pawn shop in California with two other people, Phillip Stanger and Kristin Mull.

Riley said they received $60 for the TV and returned to give the money to Whipkey. According to Riley, later that day, Whipkey approached him while he was shooting basketball in front of 33 A St. with an XBox system, controller, and game that he wanted Riley to have a friend Billyjacks Pattison, store overnight for him.

Police said they recovered the XBox system and game from a bedroom dresser in Pattison’s residence. Pattison confirmed to police that Riley and Whipkey brought the items to his home.

Stanger and Mull allegedly told police that they took the television to the pawn shop at the request of Whipkey and Riley. They said they believe the television was the property of Whipkey and when he asked for the money they gave it to him. The pawn shop in California confirmed to State Trooper William Dowlin that Stanger had sold a Vizio television to them July 4.

Riley is scheduled for plea court at 9 a.m. Sept. 25 before Judge Farley Toothman. He is charged with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.