A West Tisbury resident was arraigned at the Edgartown District Court in late October after police conducted an investigation and recovered multiple automated lawn mowers during a search of his property.
Justin C. Dodge, 44, pleaded not guilty Oct. 23 to the felony charges of larceny over $1,200, receiving stolen property over $1,200, and a misdemeanor for possession of a class E substance, according to court records. A cash bail was set at $250, which Dodge posted the same day.
According to a statement of facts filed in district court by West Tisbury Detective Bradley Fielder, the charges stem from a search warrant for Dodge’s West Tisbury residence, where Fielder recovered lawn mowers with different addresses on them. Detectives reached property owners who confirmed the lawn mowers were theirs. They also told police they didn’t give or loan the lawn mowers to Dodge, according to the statement.
Officers searched Dodge and found a pill of gabapentin, which Fielder wrote belonged to another individual’s dog; the anticonvulsant and analgesic drug is prescribed to pets to relieve pain, prevent seizures, and reduce anxiety. Dodge was subsequently arrested and charged.
The recovered lawn mowers, however, aren’t the end of the line, there remains a larger ongoing investigation into Dodge. West Tisbury Police issued a public safety announcement Friday about a series of burglaries in the vicinity of the American Youth Hostel at 525 Edgartown-West Tisbury Rd. Police confirmed with The Times that the series of burglaries are directly related to Dodge’s charges.
“This investigation reflects the dedication and professionalism of our officers and their continued commitment to addressing criminal activity within our community. The West Tisbury Police Department takes these matters seriously and will continue to investigate criminal activity thoroughly and take appropriate enforcement action when warranted,” West Tisbury Police Chief Bradley Cortez said in the announcement.
Two residents who live near American Youth Hostel in West Tisbury, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution from Dodge, said in an interview with The Times that they’ve noticed and reported to police more missing tools and equipment from sheds since Dodge’s arrest on Oct. 21. Missing tools include chainsaws, weed whackers, leaf blowers, and other construction and garden tools. They said police contacted them and recommended they check for missing equipment, and two residents said they heard of others in the area reporting thefts from their properties.
The resident who spoke with The Times also shared concerns about Dodge’s posted bail, and said they’ve seen Dodge working in public with tools they believe aren’t his. They said they are installing cameras on their property and are being more cautious at night.
“Let’s be proactive about locking your doors, your car, your homes, don’t present somebody with an opportunity to steal your valuable possessions,” Cortez said in an interview with The Times. “It’s not the old Vineyard anymore. If you give criminals an opportunity, they are going to take it.”
The West Tisbury Police Department declined to comment further due to the ongoing investigation.
Dodge has a pretrial hearing scheduled for Dec. 4 in Edgartown District Court.
The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office hasn’t responded to requests for comment. Dodge’s attorney, Cass Luskin, is out of office until Nov. 16 and was not immediately available for comment.
