Casper Men Arrested for 8 Storage Unit Burglaries
A pair of Casper men could each face lengthy prison terms if convicted of burglarizing several storage units and taking a firearm.
Jonathan Casey Burton, 34, and Brian Allen Patton, 36, were each arrested on seven recommended counts of burglary and one recommended count of aggravated burglary. They could each face five to 95 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Casper police began investigating after eight separate burglaries were reported at KaLo Storage, 2736 S. McKinley, between May 14 and June 13. During one of those burglaries, reported June 2, a .22-caliber rifle was taken.
On June 29, an unnamed source told a Casper police sergeant that Burton and Patton had burglarized a number of businesses and storage units in the area.
The source explained that Burton was renting a storage unit at KaLo Storage for the purpose of having the keycard necessary to enter the gated property. He and Patton would travel to the facility and burglarize four or five units a night, filling Burton's SUV with stolen items and then driving to Patton's home in Evansville to divide up the goods.
"Burton and Patton would keep some items, pawn others, and trade some for methamphetamine," the affidavit of probable cause states.
Burton, who had two active warrants for his arrest, had since moved into a trailer with Patton in north Casper. Officers went to the home on July 19 and arrested Burton on the warrants.
A detective arrived at the property that day and, once Patton was taken into custody for methamphetamine possession, obtained consent to search the trailer from Patton's girlfriend.
"While searching, officers observed numerous items which appeared to match reported stolen items," the affidavit states. Patton's girlfriend allegedly told police that she accepted items in lieu of rent, adding that she had recently pawned a number of items that had been given to her by Patton.
In a police interview, Patton said he lived with his girlfriend at the trailer home, but added that he maintained a separate residence with another woman as well. He denied taking part in any burglaries, but claimed he had received items from Burton.
Patton told police that Burton had a storage unit at 2800 East Yellowstone and said he had helped Burton unload his vehicle there a few times.
A search of Burton's East Yellowstone storage unit, No. 3, allegedly turned up several items which had been reported stolen from KaLo Storage.
While the detective was conducting that search, management told him that Burton appeared to be very friendly with the person who rented the adjacent unit, No. 4. That person turned out to be Patton, so the detective got a warrant and searched No. 4 as well.
That search also allegedly revealed a number of items which had been reported stolen.
The .22-caliber rifle had not been recovered as of Saturday.