Vance Shearer, 46, and Melissa Shearer, 37, both of De Soto, and John Morris, 56, of Caseyville, Ill., have been charged with several felonies for allegedly stealing ATMs from Jefferson County businesses.
The probable-cause statement alleges that on March 29, both the Shearers and Morris drove to the Get N Go gas station and convenience store, 4090 Athena School Road, in the De Soto area, and the two men used pry bars to force open the front door to the business and then placed a tow strap around an ATM. With the other end of the strap attached to their car, they pulled out the machine, which the men then loaded into the vehicle and fled, the statement alleged.
Melissa Shearer reportedly stayed in the car while the two men broke into the business and stole the ATM.
The damage to the door was estimated at $2,000, the ATM was valued at $2,400 and the machine contained $1,380 in $20 bills, according to the report.
That same day, the three went to the Franco’s Smoke Shop, 12 Village Plaza, just south of Arnold, and they used the same method to break into the business and steal an ATM out of it, with Melissa Shearer again staying inside the vehicle, the report alleged.
Damage to the door at Franco’s was estimated at $500, the ATM was valued at $3,060, and the machine had about $1,260 in cash inside, according to the report.
Both the Shearers allegedly admitted to their participation in those burglaries, the report said.
Melissa Shearer told detectives they burglarized the businesses because they were “desperate for money due to Vance Shearer losing his job,” according to the report.
In addition, Vance Shearer has been charged in connection with an attempted theft of an ATM from Missouri Title Loans, 4101 Jeffco Blvd., in the Arnold area on April 5, when he allegedly forced entry into the building and used a chainsaw to try to cut the floor around the machine so he could remove, causing about $1,500 in damage. However, an alarm sounded and he fled without the ATM, the probable-cause statement said.
Vance Shearer also allegedly admitted to that burglary, the report said.
The Shearers also are suspected in a Feb. 22 burglary at the Medicine Shoppe, 100 N. Main St., in De Soto, where they allegedly stole more than $20,000 worth of medication, authorities report.
On April 6, the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to a call to assist a vehicle along Hwy. 67 in southern Jefferson County and found Vance Shearer, who had been driving, inside and unresponsive, possibly from a drug overdose, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported in an April 11 statement.
Shearer survived, but troopers allegedly found items inside the vehicle linked to the De Soto pharmacy burglary. That discovery led investigators to search the Shearers’ home, where they allegedly found other items from the pharmacy burglary and the ATM thefts, the report said.
Later, investigators learned that Morris allegedly was involved in the ATM thefts, too. In addition, investigators believe the three were involved with the theft of another ATM from St. Louis and the attempted theft of one from Collinsville, Ill., according to the report.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed charges April 7 against Vance Shearer for three counts of felony second-degree burglary, two counts of felony stealing and three counts of felony first-degree property damage.
Melissa Shearer has been charged with two counts of accessory to second-degree burglary and two counts of accessory to stealing, all felonies.
Morris has been charged with two counts of accessory to second-degree burglary, two counts of accessory to stealing and two counts of accessory to first-degree property damage, all felonies, court records show.
The highway patrol is also seeking charges against Vance Shearer for seven counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of unlawful use of a weapon stemming from the April 6 incident when he was found unresponsive in a vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
The Shearers were being held today (April 12) at the Jefferson County Jail, each one on a $50,000 cash-only bond. In addition, Vance Shearer was being held on another $29,000 surety bond, and Melissa Shearer on an additional $16,000 surety bond.
A $50,000 cash bond also has been set in the case against Morris, but he wasn’t being held at the jail today.