Investigators say a Ryan W. Thompson, 38, Waupaca, received guns from David Cole, the man accused of five burglaries in Waupaca County.
Thompson was charged June 26 with one felony count of receiving stolen firearms.
On Thursday, Jan. 23, Deputy Dave Huberty and Detective Sgt. James Gorman, with the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office, met with Thompson at his business in King.
According to the criminal complaint, Thompson told them that David Cole had shown up unexpectedly at his front door about two or three days earlier. He said Cole brought four guns and a DVD player with him and left them with Thompson.
Thompson told the investigators that he did not know the weapons were stolen. He took them to his home in Dayton and turned over three 12-gauge shotguns, a .270-caliber rifle with scope, a double wide gun case and a DVD player.
At 12:15 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, Huberty, Gorman and Detective Sgt. Julie Thobaben went to Thompson’s home again.
Gorman asked Thompson if he would come down to the sheriff’s office, and Thompson said he needed to get dressed and would be out shortly, the complaint says.
Later, a woman, identified as Mamie Nero, opened the front door, yelled at the officers, then slammed the door shut and locked it. At approximately 12:25 p.m., Nero opened the door again and shoved a box at Huberty, saying, “David Cole left these here. They’re not ours.” She again slammed the door shut and locked it, according to the criminal complaint.
Inside the box were a scope with two mounts, two deer cameras, a black leather gun case and a receipt from a Wisconsin Rapids pawn shop made out to David Cole. The receipt was for a Winchester rifle.
At 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, Thobaben and Gorman interviewed Thompson at the sheriff’s office.
According to the criminal complaint, Thompson said Cole came to his house on Jan. 20 and dropped off seven or eight guns and electronic devices.
Thompson allegedly purchased one of Cole’s guns, a Remington 700 7mm, for $300 and sold it to a friend.