Burke burglary suspects in custody

BURKE - Five suspects in a series of burglaries in the Burke area are in custody and awaiting preliminary hearings next week, the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office reported.

The co-defendants - Daniel D. Clark, 50, Herbert J. Presson, 52, Mark A. Miller, 45, Teresa E. Schellhas, 46, and Jason R. Puckett, 40 - are scheduled to appear in magistrate court at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Lt. Darell Braaten said it's estimated the men stole or damaged $150,000 worth of items at the Star Mine, and an estimated $7,000 worth of items were missing from Ghost Town Auto.

Most notably at the mine, he said, copper - a reported 2,500 pounds - was taken by breaking apart and stripping transformers, high voltage circuit breakers and other wires. Braaten said copper is valued between $1.50 to $3 per pound.

"This is more extensive than burglaries seen in the past," he said.

SCSO responded at 4 a.m. May 5 to a report that there were individuals inside the Star Mine. Braaten said officers waited outside on a nearby road and saw a pick-up truck with Washington plates leaving the mine.

Officers stopped the truck and three men inside - Clark, Presson and Miller - were arrested.

A search warrant was executed in the Burke area the next day at 6:10 a.m., he said, where law enforcement arrested Schellhas and Puckett.

While Clark, Presson, Miller and Puckett are being held at the Shoshone County Jail on $50,000 bonds, Schellhas is there on a $25,000 bond.

Clark is charged with burglary, controlled substance schedule II and criminal trespass; Presson is charged with burglary and trespass; Miller is charged with burglary and trespass; Puckett is charged with burglary and grand theft; and Schellhas is charged with grand theft.