Chillicothe — The Ross County Grand Jury returned all seven of their cases on Friday, May 10th, with two open for release to the public. From testimony in the the grand jury in one of the cases, according to the Ross County Prosecutor’s Office:
On April 19th, a Chillicothe Police officer responded to a report of a suspicious person on High Street pulling two shopping carts filled with various items.
54-year-old Chad A. Benarth of 395 1/2 East Second Street told the officer that he had been paid $60 to take the items from a garage.
The officer then learned that a garage in the 100 block of West Water Street had been broken into and items were taken, some of which were later identified in the shopping carts.
Then another shopping cart was found near the Dairy Queen on North High Street that had more items from the garage.
The missing items were valued at $13,293, but only about $5,000 to $6,000 worth were recovered from the three carts.
Additional counts were added after sons of the victim realized that items had been moved and staged in the garage, apparently by Benarth. They saw this on April 12th, but at the time thought their mom had done it.
Benarth was indicted on:
- Fourth degree felony grand theft, worth up to 1 1/2 years and $5,000 in fines. Â
- Fifth degree felony breaking and entering, worth up to 1 year and $2,500 in fines. Â
- Fifth degree felony receiving stolen property, worth up to 1 year and $2,500 in fines. Â
Breaking and entering is usually not a successful indictment because of a lack of evidence, but it was here because Benarth admitted to being in the garage.
In total, Benarth could get up to 3 1/2 years and $10,000 in fines. He remains in custody in the Ross County Jail.
