Bradley J. Kluz, 20, and Brandon M. Scheller, 19, both of Clintonville, have been charged with burglary and theft.
On the morning of April 3, a Clintonville woman contacted police and reported someone had broken into her garage.
She said a golf bag with a complete set of golf clubs, a rain jacket, a summer jacket, golf balls and tees had been stolen. A second, newer golf bag had also been stolen. She estimated the total value of the missing items at $1,500.
The woman said she suspected the men who delivered her Post Crescent because she had been having trouble with them.
Clintonville Police Officer Dennis Schroeder subsequently spoke with Scheller at Clintonville High School.
Scheller, who has helped Kluz deliver the papers, accused Kluz of threatening him if he did not steal the golf bag and clubs. He also told the officer he could find the golf bags in Kluz’s garage.
According to the criminal complaint, when Schroeder asked Scheller about the golf clubs, Scheller said he had recently been cleaning his garage when he found several extra golf clubs n his golf bag which were not his.
“Scheller stated that he did not know where they came from, but they mysteriously showed up in his bag,” the complaint says.
Schroeder went to Scheller’s home, where he found more than a dozen golf clubs in the garage.
The officer then visited Kluz’s home, where he found two golf bags matching the descriptions of the ones reported stolen, as well as several golf clubs.
Kluz denied taking the golf equipment and accused Scheller of stealing the bags and the clubs. He reportedly told Schroeder that Scheller placed the stolen items in the back of Kluz’s truck, and he did not notice them until after they returned to Kluz’s home.
Kluz said he kept the bags, but had not returned them yet. He also said Scheller carried the clubs to his home while riding a bike, the complaint says.