Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Jonesboro man faces nearly 20 years in prison after police said he broke into a business last week, making off with cash and surveillance equipment.
On April 11, a Jonesboro police officer took a report from a business regarding a breaking or entering that occurred overnight. The victim said about $700 in cash and change, along with a digital video recorder (DVR) valued at $600, were stolen.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim advised his camera stopped recording while a man in a red passenger car was on scene. The man and vehicle were identified from a photo provided as 41-year-old Christopher Michael Nearn.
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Footage showed Nearn arriving at the business, backing out of the stall, and stopping his car in front of the door that accesses the cash machines and where the DVR was stored. He is then seen exiting his vehicle, returning shortly afterward, appearing to drop items into the passenger seat, and leaving in a hurry.
Nearn was arrested on April 15, according to the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office jail roster. He appeared in front of Judge Barbara Halsey two days later. She found probable cause to charge him with three class D felonies:
- Breaking or entering/building or structure
- Theft $5,000 or less but greater than $1,000 – from building
- Tampering with physical evidence
During the hearing, it was noted that this was Nearn’s 18th arrest and that he had 13 failure-to-appear charges. Because of this, his bond was set at $150,000 cash/surety. He also must wear a GPS ankle monitor upon release.
Nearn’s next court appearance is scheduled for June 26. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 18 years in prison and fines totaling up to $30,000.
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