Bloomfield man charged with theft of equipment

A Bloomfield man who was a short-term employee of a construction company is accused of stealing equipment from the company owner then selling it to someone who sold it on Facebook. The company owner saw the post on Facebook and bought the stolen items.

Anthony Wayne Grubb, Jr.

When Anthony Wayne Grubb, Jr., 27, Bloomfield, appeared in Greene Superior Court last Thursday, January 14, via Zoom for an initial hearing, he was formally charged with theft, a Level 6 felony.

Grubb was arrested by Deputy Jordan Allor of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on Saturday, January 2, on a warrant that was issued for Grubb’s arrest on December 28 as a result of an investigation by Indiana State Police Trooper Caleb Garvin.

Grubb is accused of stealing a Makita drill and several drill bits and attachments last March, 2020, from a construction site on Calvertville Road north of Bloomfield. The drill was reported to be worth approximately $600 and the bits/other attachments were reported to be worth between $1,000 and $1,100 each.

Trooper Garvin started his investigation in May after the owner of the equipment contacted dispatch to report the theft and that he had discovered the Makita and attachments were for sale on Facebook.

The owner told Trooper Garvin that he contacted the seller and when he went to look at the drill, he saw his initials on the drill – he had placed them there when he purchased it. He purchased the drill and asked the seller where she got the drill and she allegedly said she had gotten it from Grubb.

The owner of the Makita owns a construction company and said Grubb had worked for him for four days at the time the Makita disappeared.

Trooper Garvin made numerous attempts to make contact with the woman who sold the Makita and it was weeks later when he interviewed her in person. She allegedly said Grubb offered to sell the Makita to her and she purchased it for $50 then posted it on Facebook for $200.

Trooper Garvin managed to talk to Grubb in July when he assisted ISP Sgt. Greg Day with a foot pursuit involving Grubb. In that interview, Grubb allegedly denied taking the drill and said another man who had worked for the construction company had offered to sell it to him but he did not buy it.

When Grubb was booked into the Greene County Jail at 4:57 p.m. on January 2, his bond was set at $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $400 and was released later the same day.