When a tenant sent a picture of storm damage to his landlord, images in the picture led the landlord to contact the police to report theft of utilities.

When 31-year-old Michael Orville Edmonson of Linton sent a picture of a fallen tree on his rental property to his landlord Greg Mifflin, Mifflin noticed an extension cord running from the property to the inside of a garage. Edmonson did not have permission to access the garage. Mifflin believed the utilities had been shut off to the residence since early June and Edmonson was to vacate the property very soon.

When reporting the incident to the Linton Police Department on June 17, Mifflin told Chief Paul Clark he had received a call a few days prior stating Edmonson was kicking the garage door. Mifflin said he drove by and didn’t notice any damage but didn’t stop because Edmonson wasn’t home.

Upon receiving the photograph, Mifflin drove to the residence and found a heavily damaged garage door. He also found the extension cord depicted in the photograph plugged in inside of the garage. Mifflin unplugged the extension cord from the outlet inside his garage.

The following day, June 18, LPD Officer Davis Aerne received a report that Edmonson was using electricity without permission again. Aerne went to the residence where he spoke with Mifflin. When Mifflin arrived on the property, he said he observed the extension cord plugged into the garage outlet. He again unplugged the cord.

When Aerne spoke with Edmonson, he admitted to plugging the extension cord into the garage. He said he did not have permission to use the outlet and admitted to previously using an exterior outlet; however, that one was no longer working.

Edmonson was booked into Greene County Jail July 5 with bond set at $11,000 surety with 10 percent cash allowed.

He is being charged with: