Man wanted in string of theft, check cashing scheme caught by police … but not without a fight

A man wanted across the tri-county area as a suspect and "person of interest" in numerous burglaries, thefts and check cashing schemes was captured Sunday by Corbin Police, but not without a struggle.

John J. Autenrieb, 29, of Corbin, is currently in jail after two wild attempts by police to subdue him Sunday morning.

According to Corbin Police Detective Bill Rose, he and fellow Officer Matt Conley went to a home at 501 Third Street to find Autenrieb after receiving information he was there from a confidential informant.

Finding him was easy.

Getting him into custody was the difficult part.

Rose said when he went to the front door of the residence and knocked, Autenrieb ran out the back.

"Officer Conley hollered at him and told him to stop but he refused and then jumped around the side of the house," Rose said. "There was a struggle and a lot of fighting but we were finally able to get him under control and get handcuffs on him."

But on the way to the Corbin Police station, Autenrieb somehow managed to slip a hand loose from the cuffs. When Conley got him out of his cruiser to lead into the back door of the police station for book, Autenrieb ran again. He followed the creekline behind city hall near the CSX rail yard, and then sprinted up Main Street.

Rose spotted him cross the street near Miller’s Firearms. Conley, Rose and Officer Glenn Taylor Jr. were able to trap him on 10th Street.

"We were finally able to get him after a brief struggle," Rose said. "He had to be tazed because he would not cooperate."

Rose said Autenrieb was wanted on five felony warrants and a misdemeanor warrant. Many of the charges stem from his alleged efforts to pass forged checks at banks and businesses in Laurel County.

"Apparently at one of the banks [National City Bank] he had been trying to pass a forged check … and he got scared or something and ran off. He left the check and his ID behind," Rose said. "He wouldn’t say a word to us about anything when we got him. After I told him there were several warrants for him, all of them felonies, he just wouldn’t say anything."

Autenrieb is wanted in Knox County for failure to appear in court on forgery charges. Kentucky State Police also want to arrest Autenrieb for similar charges.

Corbin Police have been seeking Autenrieb to question him about his suspected involvement in numerous vehicle break-ins and other thefts in the Gordon Hill area.

Whitley County Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Bowling has been seeking Autenrieb since early December for theft of a farm trailer in the Tackett Creek community.

Bowling said he interviewed Autenrieb at the Whitley County Detention Center Sunday regarding the theft of the trailer.

"He admitted to the fact that he took the trailer … or at least that he borrowed the trailer," Bowling said. "He also said he gave it to a friend to return it."

Bowling said Sheriff’s deputies went to a residence in Laurel County Sunday to try to retrieve the trailer. It was not there and the home was unoccupied.

"We are going to keep looking for it. He gave us some leads so hopefully we can get it back."

Autenrieb is currently in the Whitley County Detention Center on the following charges: fleeing or evading police (two counts), resisting arrest (two counts), escape, criminal mischief, non-payment of fines, theft by unlawful taking, theft by failure to make required disposition of property, criminal possession of a forged instrument, criminal possession of a forged prescription.

Last year, Autenrieb was arrested while he was working for a tree trimming service in Whitley County. Bowling said he would befriend unsuspecting clients and ask them if he could go in their house to get a drink or use the bathroom. Once inside, he would steal valuables, Bowling said. He was also arrested in 2009 for stealing a check from a home on Collins Lane and cashing it at Wal-Mart.