The Callaway County Sheriff's Office has made two more arrests in its ongoing efforts against scrap metal thefts throughout the county in recent months.
According to a CCSO press release, at 10:11 a.m. on April 12, the Sheriff's Office received a stealing complaint from the Mokane Lion's Club - a 15-foot section of aluminum bleachers - valued at $2,000 - had been stolen from the Lion's Club Park in downtown Mokane.
Deputies investigated and followed up leads, which led them to arrest Rickie James, 54, of Mokane later that afternoon at the Advantage Metals recycling center near Holts Summit, where he had the bleachers. James was transported to the Callaway County Jail where he posted $4,500 bond. He faces a charge of felony stealing. The investigation into this offense is ongoing.
Also on April 12, the Sheriff's Office was contacted by a farm owner west of Fulton regarding the continuous thefts of items from his property. The farm owner said that his buildings had been burglarized, with items stolen "that likely were scrapped."
As a result of that investigation, Oscar Harper, 49, of Fulton, was arrested on April 13 for burglary and felony stealing. Harper was taken to the Callaway County Jail where he is being held on $7,000 bond. He has an initial arraignment scheduled this morning on a charge of felony second-degree burglary and a charge of misdemeanor theft. The investigation is ongoing.