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Dunnell man facing felony theft charge

FAIRMONT — A Dunnell man is facing a felony charge in Martin County.

Erik Vaughn Godwin, 39, has been charged with theft, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

According to the complaint:

On Sept. 15, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office received a report of stolen property and a burglary that had occurred sometime between Aug. 24 and Sept. 14 at a property in the 200 block of 50th Street in rural Martin County. The complainant said he was missing a black ATV, “lots of tools” and two lawnmowers.

On Sept. 16, a Martin County Sheriff’s investigator spoke with the man, who said he had started a list of the items missing. The investigator was aware from the execution of a prior search warrant that many of these items were located at Godwin’s residence in the 300 block of 20th Street in rural Martin County. The man estimated his losses at more than $10,000.

Later that day, the investigator spoke with Godwin at the jail, where he was being held on an unrelated charge. Godwin was advised of his rights and agreed to speak with the investigator.

During the interview, Godwin admitted to stealing the property in question from the first man’s residence. He pointed out the location on a map and listed many of the items he stole. Godwin indicated he was “high on meth” and knew better.

Later, deputies went to Godwin’s residence and collected the stolen property. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office estimates the replacement value of the items to exceed $5,000.

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