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FAIRMONT -- A Sioux Falls man is facing a felony charge in Martin County.
Ronald Richard Demand, 47, has been charged with theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
According to the complaint:
On Dec. 28, a Martin County Sheriff's deputy spoke with a man in the lobby of the Law Enforcement Center. The man reported the theft of multiple comic books from his residence, and explained he suspected Demand as the thief.
He indicated that Demand had been living with him on and off, and he had received a text message from Demand's ex-girlfriend saying she had found some of his comic books in Sioux Falls.
The man said he then looked and observed some of his collection was missing.
The man explained that some of the stolen comic books had been located at Rainbow Comics in Sioux Falls, noting he had spoken with an individual at Rainbow who agreed to hold the comics believed to be stolen.
On Dec. 29, the deputy received a text message from an employee at Rainbow Comics that included a photograph of the form used to purchase the comic books from seller Ron Demand. A second photo in the text message showed a payout receipt to Ron Demand in the amount of $125.
The deputy called and spoke to the manager, who indicated he was the one who purchased the comics from Demand. He said he purchased five books from Demand, and that Demand had made a comment about trying to sell the books at a pawn shop as well.
On Jan. 1, the man returned to the Law Enforcement Center with a completed list of his missing comic books, which included more than 30 that had been taken. The value of the comic books is estimated at $1,500.
The deputy made attempts to locate Demand but was unsuccessful.