MEXICO – A Rumford man was arraigned Friday on charges he broke into Kingmaker Games’ store three times and stole cash and more than $2,000 in merchandise.

Dale Bowen Jr., 24, of Maine Avenue is charged with three counts each of burglary, theft and criminal mischief, Lt. Roy Hodsdon of the Mexico Police Department said. On Friday in 11th District Court in Paris, a judge set his bail at $500 or a contract with Maine Pretrial Services.

Hodsdon said police received three complaints from Kingmaker Games of 15 Recreation Drive of burlgaries on March 27 and 30, and once this week.

“There was cash and change stolen from the register, and over $2,000 in merchandise was taken,” Hodsdon said Friday afternoon.

Kingmaker Games sells board games and card games, including Magic: The Gathering, a game played with collectible cards. Well over $1,000 worth of Magic: The Gathering cards and related merchandise were stolen, as well as about $90 in cash and change, according to Hodsdon’s affidavit.

The affidavit said Bowen removed the cards from their packages and sold them to a game store in Lewiston for $375 cash. Bowen’s wife and a friend told police that Bowen said he stole the cards, and both admitted to driving him to Lewiston to sell them.

Mexico police Chief James Theriault visited the Lewiston store, where the owner gave descriptions of Bowen and both women and provided video footage showing Bowen bringing the cards into the store, according to the affidavit. They determined that the cards the Lewiston store owner bought were the same cards  stolen from Kingmaker Games.

A search warrant was executed at Bowen’s apartment. In garbage cans there, police found boxes that had contained Magic cards and were able to match unique shipping labels on the boxes to shipping receipts provided by the owner of Kingmaker Games, the affidavit said.

“We gathered the information, applied for a search warrant, and once it was approved, we moved in on Bowen’s residence,” Hodsdon said.

Police arrested Bowen and recovered more than 1,100 gaming cards, according to Hodsdon.

“This was a collaborative effort between several different departments,” he said. “We were able to all work together and solve this case.”

If released, Bowen is stay away from Kingmaker Games and have no contact with the owner. His arraignment is set for July in Oxford County Superior Court in Paris.

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