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Darling faces theft, burglary charges

A Waupaca man is accused of stealing from friends and neighbors.

Sean P. Darling, 31, is charged with burglary, theft and felony bail jumping from an Oct. 16, 2016, incident and with theft and bail jumping from a Nov. 13 incident.

He also faces burglary, theft and criminal damage charges from an incident that occurred on April 11, 2016.

On Nov. 14, Waupaca Police Officer Wesley Zube visited a woman who lives on Mill Street.

The woman told Zube that Darling visited her home on Nov. 12 and was seen looking through some boxes and drawers.

The following day, she was away from home. When she returned, the woman discovered that clothing that belonged to a friend who was in jail and personal items that belonged to her son were missing.

She said she confronted Darling via Facebook and he admitted taking the clothing. He allegedly said he did not think she would mind because the clothes belonged to a friend who would be “locked up for awhile.”

The woman told police her adult son went to Darling’s residence on Ware Street to retrieve the missing property. Darling allegedly returned some of the items, but several things, with an estimated value of $490, remain missing.

On Oct. 16, Waupaca Police Officer Diane Flatoff went to Ware Street where she spoke with Darling’s neighbor.

The neighbor reported that an air compressor and chain saw had been stolen from his garage. He suspected Darling because he was one of the few people who knew the side door was unlocked.

When questioned by police, Darling denied going into his neighbor’s garage.

Flatoff later discovered online that two transactions had occurred between Pawn America in Grand Chute and a “Dean” Darling. The transactions were for an air compressor and a chain saw. The driver’s license number used to record the transaction belonged to Sean Darling.

Waupaca Police Sgt. John Helgeson recovered the stolen items. He obtained security video from the pawn shop showing Darling making the exchange, the complaint says.

On April 11, 2016, Darling was accused of breaking into a home in Manawa and stealing a semi-automatic firearm, a TV, an iPod and an LG tablet.

Entry to the home had been made by forcing open a door.

On June 2, New London Police Officer Ryan Denu informed Manawa Police Chief James Gorman that Darling had been arrested in Oshkosh and was in the Winnebago County Jail.

When Darling’s sister went to pick up the car he had been using, she found stolen property that belonged to her parents. She also found other items she believed were stolen, so she informed the New London police.

When police searched the vehicle, they found a TV, LG tablet, a drill and a box of .22-caliber ammo. They also found a large knife, a $20 gold coin, other coins, a cellphone and a tin can full of jewelry.

Due to prior convictions, Darling has been charged as a repeat offender.

Darling was convicted of retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia on July 12, 2016, in Winnebago County.

In Waupaca County, Darling was convicted of misdemeanor theft, retail theft and possession of an illegally obtained prescription drug on Sept. 13, 2012.

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