Home

Rifle — Rifle police arrested three men accused of having some connection with a string of burglaries at local churches and businesses since August.

Police reported Monday that Robert Ross Jr., 20, of Rifle, Richard William Marques, 19, of Palisade, and Gemini G. Billington, 19, of Rifle, were arrested on charges of stealing close to $10,000 in cash and various items and causing more than $6,000 in damage to about a dozen local businesses during the past few months.

Ross and Marques face charges of second-degree burglary, criminal mischief and felony theft, all felonies. Billington faces charges of theft by receiving more than $1,000, a felony, and prohibited acts — lying to a pawn broker.

According to an arrest affidavit, police arrested Billington after receiving a tip that Billington and Marques had stolen a television from the Church of the Open Door in Rifle.

Police confiscated a 19-inch Emerson television with a built in DVD player, which later was confirmed by church officials to be the one stolen from the church in August. The church also reported a digital projector stolen.

When police searched the local pawn shops for any projectors that had been sold recently, they found that Billington had recently sold one to A&D Pawn in Rifle for $40, by a “pawn slip.”

Pawn shops in Rifle regularly turn all of their pawn slips, which include name, address and driver’s license information of the person selling the item, into the police to check whether the items are stolen. According to police, the slips generally are “reliable.”

However, that projector turned out not to be the one reported stolen by the Church of the Open Door but was reported stolen from the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Rifle.

A search warrant was issued for Billington, and police arrested him Saturday. He was being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.

According to the arrest affidavit, police said Billington confessed to burglarizing three Rifle businesses including the American Family Insurance office and the Rifle Creek Movie Theater.

However, he was not involved in the church burglaries but received the items from Ross and Marques, according to police.

The affidavit also stated that Billington told police that Ross and Marques told him about several burglaries they had performed in Rifle during the past several months.

Ross and Marques are being held at the Garfield County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.