Another arrest has been made in conjunction with yesterday’s apprehension of RYAN LINDSEY on outstanding warrants at 170 CR 903, as well as the filing of additional charges against LINDSEY.  JAMES S. WISNIEWSKI, 70 years old of Mountain Home, was arrested yesterday afternoon on felony charges related to weapons violations and tampering with evidence, with LINDSEY being now charged with these same additional offenses, with yet more charges now pending as well.

     Sheriff’s Deputies, acting on several citizen tips received over the past week or more, had been making attempts to locate RYAN LINDSEY at the residence he was reported to be staying on CR 903 on several outstanding warrants.  Yesterday, acting on a tip that LINDSEY had been positively seen inside this residence, Deputy William Altazan and Deputy Jim Koenen drove to the residence.  When they arrived, they saw LINDSEY sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle owned and driven by JAMES WISNIEWSKI.  When he saw the deputies, LINDSEY fled but was apprehended after a foot chase. 

     During this subsequent investigation, Deputies learned that RYAN LINDSEY was seen to have carried three sawed-off shotguns from the residence and place them into JAMES WISNIEWSKI’s vehicle.  They further learned that JAMES WISNIEWSKI had taken the sawed-off shotguns out of the vehicle and hid them inside a dog house in front of the residence. 

     After LINDSEY was taken into custody, Deputies Altazan and Koenen walked over to the dog house and located three sawed-off shotguns inside.  These appeared to be 1) a J. C. Higgins shotgun with a wood stock and approximately a 12-7/8^th inch barrel; 2) an unknown model four-ten gauge shotgun with an approximately 12-1/8^th inch barrel; and 3) a Mossberg shotgun with a wood stock and approximately a 16 inch barrel.  All of these shotguns were found to have their serial numbers scratched off to the point they were unreadable.  LINDSEY and WISNIEWSKI both denied having any knowledge of these shotguns.

      After the arrests, Sheriff’s Investigators obtained a judge’s warrant to search the residence late yesterday afternoon.  During this search, they located the ends of the barrels that had been sawed off the shotguns.  Also located were a kerosene heater and two socket-type breaker bars that had been reported stolen by a neighboring resident between November 19^th and December 19^th.  These items were valued at less than $1,000.

     JAMES S. WISNIEWSKI was arrested and booked into the Detention Center on charges of:

     Tampering with Physical Evidence – Felony
     Criminal Use of Prohibited Weapons (3 counts) – Felonies

     WISNIEWSKI was released from custody after posting bond in the amount of $15,000.  He will appear in Baxter County Circuit Court on January 5^th to answer the charges.

     These same additional charges were filed against RYAN LINDSEY, as was an additional misdemeanor Theft of Property charge, and he remains in custody at the Detention Center.

     Today, Thursday, December 22^nd, Sheriff’s Investigators returned to 170 CR 903 again to serve a second search warrant after articles observed inside the residence yesterday were reviewed and believed to be possibly connected to a burglary that occurred at the Midway Oaks Laundry that was reported on January 14, 2011.  This afternoon, when the second search warrant was served, Investigators seized a Daisy BB rifle, a Mossberg .22 caliber rifle with scope, and various tools and ammunition.  LINDSEY had previously been identified as a potential suspect in this burglary and theft but there had been insufficient evidence to charge him with those crimes until today’s search warrant was served and the stolen articles recovered.  LINDSEY will face the filing of additional charges involving the burglary of the Midway Oaks Laundry next week    

   /s/ John F. Montgomery
    Baxter County Sheriff