By PAUL STONE
The Palestine Herald
January 07, 2009 09:17 am
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Two Anderson County men already jailed locally in relation to area burglaries could be indicted on additional charges in the near future.
Charles Joseph Hatch, 39, of Elkhart and Thomas Walter Davis, 36, of Palestine were both arrested in late November and have remained in the Anderson County Jail since their arrests, according to Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor.
Hatch was arrested on Nov. 26 on charges of burglary of a habitation and assault causing bodily injury and remains in jail in lieu of bonds totaling $85,000, according to the sheriff.
Davis, meanwhile, was arrested six days earlier on Nov. 20 on the charge of engaging in organized criminal activity, according to the sheriff. He remains in the Anderson County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond.
Taylor said his office now intends to file additional charges against the men -- Hatch for burglary of a habitation and two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity and Davis for two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity.
“We’re filing these with the (Anderson County) district attorney’s office to seek grand jury consideration,” Taylor said. “These charges stem from four different burglaries throughout Anderson County.”
All four burglaries occurred in the Elkhart area, with three of those allegedly taking place in November on Texas 294 East, Private Road 6131 and FM 323, Taylor said. The fourth burglary was in August on CR 107, the sheriff added.
Hatch is currently the lone suspect tied to the burglary on CR 107, according to Taylor.
Property valued at a total of approximately $6,500 was taken during the burglaries, including “an assortment of firearms,” a laptop computer, cell phone chargers, knives and other items, according to the sheriff.
“We’re also looking at pursuing federal charges because they went across state lines and sold some of these (stolen) firearms in Louisiana,” Taylor stated.
By law, the offense of engaging in organized criminal activity requires at least three participants.
Taylor said there is also an “unnamed defendant” who potentially faces grand jury indictment on up to three charges.
Sgt. investigator Larry Warrick has been the case’s lead investigator.
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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com
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