Suspects in break-ins at Grove, Holly Bay to appear in federal court Monday

 The U.S. Forest Service has made a federal case out of a series of break-ins at The Grove and Holly Bay work centers in which three suspects were caught on video stealing copper pipes, a welder, lawn mower, air compressor and assorted power tools.

Two of the men, Christopher Carter, 35, and Samuel Keith Miller, 52, have been ordered held in the custody of U.S. Marshals pending the outcome of the case in U.S. District Court in London, while the third suspect remains at large. They will return to court at 2:30 p.m. Monday for a preliminary hearing.

 U.S. DA Forest Service Special Agent Raymond A. Burkhart, III stated he set up the video surveillance equipment at the Grove Work Center after he was notified of the initial break-ins.

On Jan. 15, Forest Service employees discovered the perimeter fence at the Grove Recreation Area had been cut.

"Further investigation revealed that entry had been forced on the buildings and copper pipes had been broken, torn out, and removed causing extensive water damage to the building and its contents," Burkhart stated in his affidavit filed in federal court in support of the criminal complaint against Carter. The alarm system on the building had been disabled.

However, the video surveillance showed three male suspects entering the building in the early morning and afternoon of Jan. 15.

"The subjects can be seen entering and leaving the building carrying out lengths of copper pipe," Burkhart stated, adding that he identified one of the suspects as Carter based on previous encounters with him in a law enforcement setting.

On Jan. 19, Forest Service employees notified Burkhart of a silver Hyundai parked near the Holly Bay Work Center and that they had found a window at the work center where someone had tried to break in to the building.

Forest Service law enforcement headed out to the scene as Burkhart recognized the vehicle as belonging to Carter.

While en route, it was reported the vehicle had left Holly Bay and was traveling on Ky. 192 toward London.

Another agent found the vehicle and began trailing it, as it turned south onto Ky. 312 toward Corbin. The agent hit his lights and sirens, but the driver refused to stop, leading the chase onto Byrley Road in Corbin before coming to a stop in a field.

When the driver got out of the vehicle, it was not Carter, but Miller.

Miller told Burkhart he had been at Holly Bay and knew Carter.

Inside the vehicle, Burkhart reported finding a pair of brown work coveralls with the name  "Truett" written above the chest, along with set of ekys to locks at the Grover Recreation Area and assorted burglary tools.

Burkhart stated there was a Forest Service employees with the last name of Truett, who sometimes worked at Holly Bay.

Later that afternoon, in and interview with Burkhart, Miller admitted that he and Carter broke into the Grove Work Center and took the times in question, before taking it to a pawn shop in Lake City, Tenn. At the pawn shop, Miller said the men received $1,800 for the equipment and trailer on which they hauled it out. They then split the money.

Miller added that when he had gone to Holly Bay that day with the intention of stealing a Kubota utility terrain vehicle. However, he thought he had been spotted by a forest service employee and decided it was time to leave.

On Jan. 20, officers found Carter in Harlan County and took him into custody. At the time, Burkhart stated Carter was driving a Nissan truck that had recently been stolen from the Grove Work Center.

In a statement to law enforcement, Burkhart said he and Carter to committed multiple burglaries at Holly Bay and Grove Work Center between April 2010 and Jan. 2011.