Arrest made in Gatliff area burglary spree

Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies recovered eight firearms that are believed to have been stolen while conducting a search Sunday evening at a residence on Poplar Creek Road.
Sheriff Lawrence Hodge said Kevin D. West, 38, is a fourth “person of interest” in a string of recent burglaries in the Ky. 92E area.
Sunday evening, Lt. Chuck Davis charged West with receiving stolen property and trafficking marijuana over eight ounces but less than five pounds.
Hodge said police went to West’s residence about 9 p.m. Sunday after developing leads stemming from the burglary of James Faulkner’s residence a few weeks ago.
Police received consent to search West’s home Sunday, and discovered seven long guns, and one pistol.
“We are confident they are stolen. We don’t know who the owners are yet,” Hodge said.
While searching in the master bedroom, police also discovered a large bag and six smaller bags of a packaged green leafy substance that police believe to be marijuana, officials said.
“This arrest is going to lead to two more that we know of right now,” Hodge added.
He said when police pulled up to the residence, two people took off running, but that police were only able to capture one of the men, and are still trying to determine the other’s identity.
Police searched the residence until about 12:30 a.m. Monday.
In late June, Hodge identified three other individuals as “people of interest” in connection with about a dozen burglaries that have all happened since late May around Ky. 92E, including: James Darrell Holt, Sammy E. Gay, and Jonathan Tim Rickett, all of Williamsburg, who were arrested last month on separate charges.
Hodge said the burglaries all occurred since mid-May during the daytime hours when most people would be working, and that the primary things stolen during all the burglaries were guns.
“They are breaking in the front door. They are hitting the working people. The burglaries just have too many similarities to them,” Hodge said. “It is mostly guns taken.”
“We are not going to stop until we have found them, even if we have to go door to door in Gatliff,” Hodge added.
Sheriff’s Deputy Alan Onkst assisted with the investigation.