Plea reached with fourth of five local burglary suspects

McCOOK, Nebraska -- A plea agreement has been reached with another of the five men arrested in connection with a slew of local burglaries dating back several years, bringing the total number awaiting sentencing to three, with one already sentenced to probation and one scheduled for jury trial in April.

21-year-old Adam H. Rawn of Indianola, Nebraska, accepted a plea agreement last week in Red Willow County District Court admitting guilt to a misdemeanor theft charge. The charge against Rawn indicated his involvement was limited to the November 2010 burglary of the McCook Transfer Station.

The plea agreement, offered by Red Willow County Attorney Paul Wood, reduced a Class III felony burglary offense Rawn was facing to a Class I misdemeanor theft offense. Rawn was subsequently scheduled for sentencing at 9:30 a.m. on March 3, 2014.

During the transfer station crimes burglars used a tool of some kind to break through the north door and stole just shy of $300 in cash during their first visit in October 2010. Rawn was charged in connection with their return trip in November 2010, during which they broke in through the west door and stole an entire safe and approximately $190 in cash.

Rawn's accomplices include 22-year-old Jeffery Phelps of Chappell, Nebraska, 21-year-old Michael A. Templeman of 1102 West 13th Street, 37-year-old Michael Sanders and 38-year-old Timothy D. McMains.

Phelps accepted a similar plea agreement in December reducing two Class III felony offenses he originally faced down to four misdemeanor offenses. Phelps was subsequently scheduled for sentencing at 10:45 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2014.

Templeman was the first of the group to be sentenced, he was ordered to serve 30 months probation and pay $842 in restitution in October. Templeman pleaded no contest to a pair of Class III felony burglary offenses stemming from his involvement in the 2013 burglary of Rowes Repair, as well as the 2010 burglaries of the transfer station.

Sanders accepted a plea agreement in October dismissing several charges while admitting guilt to six felonies and one misdemeanor. The charges against Sanders stem from a burglary in April at the Western Tire Shop, in addition to burglaries occurring in 2012 at Rowes Repair, the First Assembly of God Church, The Bottle Shop and the Republican Valley Events Center, as well as the 2011 burglary of the SWATs Workshop and the 2010 burglary of the City of McCook Transfer Station.

Sanders sentencing was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2014.

McMains faces significantly more offenses than his accomplices. He has been charged with 30 felonies and is accused of burglarizing a total of nine local businesses and one in Bartley, as well as three churches, three non-profit organizations and six governmental offices, several of them broken into multiple times. He was also charged with stealing three vehicles and interfering with the apprehension of one of the other burglars.

The charges against McMains combine for 21 Class III felony counts of burglary; five Class IV felony counts of attempting a Class III felony; three Class III felony counts of theft by unlawful taking; and one Class IV felony count of accessory to a felony.

McMains has been scheduled for a jury trial to begin at 9 a.m. on April 14, 2014.

The charges against the men stem from burglaries at the City of McCook Transfer Station; SWATS workshop; Republican Valley Event Center; First Assembly of God Church; The Bottle Shop; Rowe's Repair; Western Tire; City of McCook Senior Center; Ed Thomas YMCA; Red Willow County Fairgrounds; two attempted burglaries in Red Willow County; two burglaries in Hitchcock County, including the burglary and theft of an ATM machine from the K Store in Culbertson, Nebraska; an attempted felony theft of an ATM machine in Furnas County; as well as three stolen motor vehicles and the theft of a firearm.