WHITE CO., Ill. - A missing jacket owned by White County's Community Service Director got a guy who reports addresses in Saline County as well as Granite City in a heap of trouble this past Thursday.
White County Sheriff Doug Maier reports that the situation took place at the courthouse in Carmi at a few minutes before 1 p.m. last Thursday, February 28.
Sean Cribbs, the White County Community Service Director, contacted White County Dispatch at that time reference his jacket missing from the lobby outside the courtroom in the White County Courthouse. Cribbs advised dispatch that he had hung his jacket over the arm of the bench outside the entry to the courtroom at about 11:45 a.m. When he came out a little after noon, the jacket was gone.
Sgt. Byrd Huber confronted one of the last people to leave the courtroom, Michael Christian, 44, of Granite City but also showing an address in Harrisburg, outside the jail. Christian told Huber that he did not take the jacket. Christian then left the jail with Celia Peoples, 42 of Carrier Mills, who had just ben released from the jil.
Sgt. Wayne McKenzie, along with Cribbs, went over the video from the courthouse during the time the jacket came up missing. The video showed Christian picking up the jacket and removig it from the bench.
Huber was able to locate Christian and Peoples walking along Main Street by Dairy Queen. Huber approached Christian and asked where the jacket was. Christian again stated that he didn't take the jacket. Huber then asked him why he stole the jacket, and Christian argued that he didn't steal the jacket. That's about the time Huber told Christian that he was seen on video taking the jacket; and so he again asked where the jacket was. Christian finally stated that the jacket was in a white trash bag he was carrying. Huber told Christian to turn around so he could be handcuffed.
Upon arrival at the White County Jail, Huber opened the white trash bag and found the gray Carhartt jacket. The keys were not in the jacket pockets. However, at the jail, a correctional officer, Jarod McKenzie, found the keys in Christian's left coat pocket.
Christian has been charged with Theft of Government Property, a Class 4 felony.