By Patricia Bogumil
Interim Editor
An 18-year-old Waterford man who reportedly confessed to “car shopping” dozens of area vehicles from which to steal is facing multiple charges in Racine County Circuit Court.
According to the criminal complaint filed June 25:
County sheriff’s deputies interviewed McKinzie D. Lonergan, 622 E. Main St., Waterford, on June 22.
He confessed to several thefts from vehicles in Waterford and the cities of Burlington and Lake Geneva. Lonergan stated he was the driver of a vehicle in which he and others rode during the thefts.
Lonergan admitted to stealing a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and radar detector from the garage of a Fairview Estates home in Waterford that deputies recovered June 23 while executing a search warrant at a village home.
Lonergan said he sold those two items to another person in the Village of Waterford.
Lonergan also admitted to stealing money and GPS units from vehicles near Johnny Rocketts in Lake Geneva and a subdivision next to Wal-Mart in Burlington.
He said he and three others had gone “car shopping” June 21. He stated the group obtained about 10 GPS units, a DVD player, $35 in cash and some silver coins after going through 50 to 100 cars that evening.
Lonergan gave deputies the name and address of a person in the Village of Waterford whom he said buys stolen goods.
A search warrant was executed at that residence and the stolen items located there. As of press time, charges had not been filed against that individual.
Lonergan made an initial court appearance June 25, at which time a $400 cash bond and $2,000 signature bond were set and probable cause found that he had committed a crime.
At his attorney’s request, the court approved dismissing a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property that had been filed against him.
Lonergan still faces a felony charge of burglary of a building and two misdemeanor theft charges as a party to a crime of property greater than $2,500 in value.
If convicted of all charges, he faces a maximum of 14 years in prison; $45,000 in fines; or both.
Lonergan is next scheduled in court July 11 for a preliminary hearing, when a judge is expected to consider if the matter should proceed to trial.
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