Suspects piling up in tri-state burglary ring

Authorities are continuing to round up suspects in a multistate burglary ring that is responsible for stealing tens of thousands of dollars' worth of vehicles, TVs and other items.

"It seems to be almost a full-time job for these people to go steal things," Sgt. Jason Gearman of the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office said. "It would be a huge relief to have them stopped."

Officers shut down Lewis Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets on Wednesday afternoon, looking for wanted burglary suspect Troy Scott but did not find him, Sgt. Pete Jaros of the sheriff's office said. They did arrest Roger Randall Stoebner, who is thought to have been with Scott earlier. Police later came back to the same location and arrested Scott without incident.

On Tuesday night, police arrested an Aberdeen man arrested in Sioux Falls who is thought to have ties with the burglaries. Tanner Dvorak, 19, was arrested peacefully at an apartment complex in the 4800 block of East 41st Street about 8 p.m. Tuesday. On Monday, Aberdeen police posted a $1,000 reward for information leading to Dvorak's arrest on petty theft charges and questioning about stolen guns and a stolen vehicle.

Dvorak appeared in court Wednesday afternoon on charges of eluding law enforcement after he allegedly fled from an officer on Monday night, said Sgt. Gearman. Dvorak will appear in court again once the charges are nailed down.

More crime news: Sheriff: Drugs, guns a growing problem in Sioux Falls

Authorities say Dvorak is an associate of 41-year-old Micah Buum, one of several suspects in a string of area burglaries. Buum was arrested in Sioux Falls last week after a brief chase through the northwestern part of the city. Police said he was carrying 22 grams of meth and a stolen handgun when he was arrested.

Buum is charged with multiple crimes, including burglary, grand theft and distributing or manufacturing a controlled substance. His bond was set at $25,000.

Burglary suspect caught after chase

Buum, Dvorak, Scott and several others are suspects in a series of burglaries in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, with stolen property valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, Gearman said. Some of that property, including a Jeep, guns and drugs, was found in a storage unit near Crooks after a 12-hour stakeout in mid-May.

More stolen items were recovered in a trailer in Lennox last weekend. Authorities detained a woman who was inside the trailer but released her after questioning.

"People are getting their vehicles stolen, they're getting burned up, their four-wheelers stolen," Gearman said. "They're breaking into houses and stealing TVs, you name it, whatever they can take."

At least four or five people are suspected of being involved in the burglaries with Buum and Dvorak, Gearman said. The burglars are thought to be selling the stolen items or trading them for drugs.

While he acknowledged that burglary victims may feel frustrated with the slowness of the investigation, Gearman stressed that the department's priority is to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"If they reported (an item) stolen, eventually we will get to it and contact them," Gearman said of the victims. "We want to put these people where they can't take anything anymore. That's what we're focusing on right now."

Gearman encouraged people who may have information on other suspects or burglary incidents to call Crime Stoppers at 367-7007 or the sheriff's office at 367-4300 with information. He also reminded the public to take precautions against burglars.

"There's people out there that know more than they're saying," he said. "Lock your doors, lock your house, it makes it harder for them to get in."

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