2 receive nearly 50 charges in theft case

PALMER — Two people previously tied to the theft of more than 100 items — including a human skull and an alligator skull — now face almost 50 burglary and theft charges, court records show.

Alaska State Troopers arrested Timothy W. Taylor Jr., 35, and Linda Friend 31, of Wasilla March 12, and charged each with a single count of first-degree burglary and second-degree theft.

Taylor now faces 38 counts: seven counts of first-degree burglary; 28 counts of second-degree theft; one count of first-degree theft; one count of fraudulent use of an access device; and one count of second-degree forgery.

Friend faces a single count of first-degree burglary, seven counts of second-degree theft, and one count of weapons possession.

Troopers with the Mat-Su Criminal Suppression Unit executed two search warrants on a residence and a storage locker in connection with the burglaries and recovered approximately $20,000 worth of goods. The arrests followed an anonymous tip provided to a victim, who had offered a reward for information about the crime. The tip concerned a walrus cribbage jawbone with an eagle carving, sold to an Eagle River antiques shop for $75. Other items were recovered from a Muldoon Avenue pawnshop in Anchorage, according to court documents.

The investigation also involved agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and inspectors from the U.S. Postal Services. No federal charges involving those names appeared in U.S. District Court Records. A federal investigation associated with the case was underway in late April, according to trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters. The date range for the burglaries and thefts was between January and March 2015, Peters said.

Troopers said they also found mail stolen from mailboxes potentially affecting several hundred people.

Arrest warrants for two other participants in the crimes had also been issued, according to troopers.

Taylor had worked for a door-to-door meat sales company, Natural Express, formerly known as Harding Ranch Meats Inc., selling meat in the area near the time of the burglaries, troopers said. At least one of the victims was a customer, according to troopers.

Though victim activism ultimately led to an arrest in the case, people should be careful in how far they go in pursuing their stolen property, Peters said.

“As far as victims taking an active role in the investigation … my advice would be to take a passive role,” she said. “That is, feel free to post pictures of stolen items to whatever social media venue they subscribe to, alerting members of that community of the theft. And of course, if a victim wants to offer a reward that’s up to them. What we want to avoid is victims trying to track down perpetrators and recover their own property and confront the suspects. Leave that to law enforcement.”

Investigators would directly contact victims in order to avoid a situation where numerous potential victims overwhelmed police resources, Peters said.

First-degree burglary and first-degree theft are class B felonies. Second-degree theft, second-degree forgery, and fraudulent use of an access device are class C felonies. If convicted on all counts, Taylor faces a potential maximum state sentence of 230 years, depending on how a sentencing judge structures the sentence.

If convicted on all counts, Friend faces a potential maximum sentence of 50 years, depending on how a sentencing judge structures the sentence.

All charges had been filed by a grand jury. Court officials had scheduled a Superior Court arraignment for 11 a.m. Monday.

Taylor remained in Mat-Su Pretrial Friday evening on $7,500 bail, plus court-appointed third-party custodial requirements, corrections documents show

Friend remained in Hiland Mountain Correctional Center on a $5,000 cash bail, plus court-appointed third-party custodial requirements, corrections documents show.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.