LEWISTON — A grand jury has indicted a local man accused of stealing items — including 88 alloy wheels — from area storage units in December.
Shain Johnson Androscoggin County Jail photo
Shain R. Johnson, 38, of 28 Pearl St. is charged with multiple felonies stemming from alleged burglary of storage units around Christmas.
An Androscoggin County grand jury handed up three indictments against Johnson this week, charging him with theft, burglary and receiving stolen property. He also was charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Police said Johnson hauled the stolen goods from Auburn, Lewiston and Mechanic Falls in a rented U-Haul truck and stashed them in his girlfriend’s storage unit.
In an affidavit, police said Johnson broke into a storage unit rented by Town Fair Tire on Dec. 26 and stole 88 alloy wheels valued at $9,000. That same day, police said Johnson cut the lock on a personal storage unit and took a 1999 Yamaha YZ 125 dirt bike, tools, a toolbox, a snowblower and bike riding gear, including a helmet.
Lewiston police said five storage units had been burgled that night.
A day later, Mechanic Falls Police reported a storage unit break-in.
On Dec. 28, Auburn police saw a U-Haul truck leaving a storage facility and stopped it. Johnson was identified as the driver. Officers could see the dirt bike that had been reported as stolen.
A passenger told police Johnson had been committing burglaries of storage units and had been hiding the goods in his girlfriend’s storage units in Auburn, including fishing gear he and Johnson had stolen. The passenger told police the alloy wheels were stashed at a trailer park in Lewiston.
Police executed search warrants on the truck and two storage units. Police found the dirt bike and riding gear in the truck. In the storage units, they recovered power tools, a generator, pressure washer, tool boxes, camping equipment, fishing gear, compound bows, air conditioners, new ceiling fans and small household appliances packed into the units.
Johnson’s bail was set at $2,500 cash; his next court appearance is scheduled for April 7.
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