Jefferson City man charged for stealing from vehicles

A Jefferson City man has been charged in connection with a number of recent thefts from unlocked vehicles.

Mark Yarbrough, 23, was charged Friday with unlawful possession of a firearm, receiving stolen property, and delivery or possession of a controlled substance at the Cole County Jail.

Over the course of the week, Jefferson City police have been investigating a number of thefts from unlocked motor vehicles, two of which involved theft of firearms.

A burglary and theft occurred Thursday on Satinwood Drive on Thursday, according to court records. In one theft, two cellphones were taken and the owner of the phones used an application to track them.

That led officers to serve a search warrant at Yarbrough's residence the 200 block of Benton Street around 4 p.m. Thursday, which resulted in the seizure of multiple stolen items - including one of the stolen handguns, a Taurus pistol. Additionally, the keys to one of the vehicles that was stolen were located.

When questioned, Yarbrough denied being responsible for the thefts but admitted to possessing property he planned to sell and assumed was stolen.

Yarbrough is a convicted felon currently on probation for robbery. He told officers he knew he was not allowed to possess a firearm because he was a felon, but said he kept a gun for protection.

While being booked into the Cole County Jail, Yarbrough was found in possession of a bag containing marijuana which he had hidden in a sock.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with any information is encouraged to contact Jefferson City police at 573-634-6400.