Burglary, forgery charges leveled

A Jefferson City man has been charged with two counts of second-degree burglary and four counts of forgery in connection with an investigation into home break-ins in Cole County and Jefferson City in January and February.

Joseph Green, 17, of 3914 Oakdale Road, is believed to have broken into a neighbors home on Oakdale in January.

A Cole County Sheriff's Department probable cause statement shows the back door to the home was pried open and several pieces of jewelry, $1,000 in cash and a book of checks were taken.

Green was identified as having done this after several checks were forged at one of the Jefferson City Walmarts.

Green was part of a group that included Andrew Hopkins, 18, of 909 Harding St., who was charged last month with second-degree burglary and forgery and Brice Walther, 27, of 3216 Wardsville Road, who was charged with two counts of second-degree burglary, three counts of forgery and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm.

Hopkins told authorities the three burglarized homes in a two week span.

Authorities were later given several text messages between Green and his cousin which stated he had broken into a neighbor's house because the neighbor told him about stolen ATVs, but they only got a check book.

Green said he was a lookout for Walther and Hopkins at the burglaries, two of which were in the county and the other was in the city.