Motivated by heroin addiction, 2 Saline residents allegedly stole lawn equipment all over SE Michigan

By Kyle Feldscher Crime and courts reporter

Posted on Fri, Jul 27, 2012 : 3:27 p.m.

Two Saline residents will face trial on charges they worked together to steal lawn equipment so they could raise money for their burgeoning heroin addictions.

James Ekdahl

Courtesy of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office

James Ekdahl, 46, and Lori Lee Throneberry, 39, both face three charges of larceny of property worth more than $1,000 but less than $20,000 and two charges of receiving and concealing stolen property worth more than $1,000 but less than $20,000, according to police. They both waived their right to preliminary exams in court on Thursday, records show.

Ekdahl and Throneberry are accused of stealing multiple leaf blowers, weed whackers and a toolbox from landscaping crews in Washtenaw, Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties, according to Ann Arbor police Lt. Renee Bush. Most of the thefts were done in Ann Arbor and were done in order to feed heroin addictions that cost hundreds of dollars per day, she said.

Ann Arbor police Detective Dan Iverson, the lead investigator on the case, said the two would drive around and find landscaping crews working on yards. When the crews were out of sight, Ekdahl and Throneberry would allegedly go onto the trailer and steal equipment.

“They’d go out in an effort to feed their heroin addiction,” he said.

The larcenies occurred between June 12 and July 11. Iverson developed the lead that led to the arrests in the case after property that was reported stolen made its way to a local pawnshop, he said.

Among the victims in Ann Arbor were the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and the city’s Forestry department. Two private companies also were victims of thefts, according to police.

Police believe Ekdahl and Throneberry victimized many other companies who haven’t reported the incidents to local authorities. Bush said they told police they had driven to many counties in southeastern Michigan and weren’t always aware of where they were going, but most of the thefts occurred in Ann Arbor.

Lori Lee Throneberry

Courtesy of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office

Ekdahl and Throneberry were arraigned on July 15 and were in court for their first preliminary exams on Thursday. Ekdahl is being held in the Washtenaw County Jail on a 10 percent of $10,000 bond and Throneberry is free on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, according to court records.

Ekdahl has a lengthy criminal history. He’s been in prison off and on since 1998, when he was first sentenced to prison for two counts of uttering and publishing. State records show in 1999, he was sentenced to prison again for two counts of uttering and publishing. He again was sent to prison for three counts illegal sale or use of a financial transaction device and using a computer to commit a crime in 2002.

He was discharged from state supervision on April 1, 2011, according to state records.

The Michigan Offender Tracking Information System did not turn up any criminal history for Throneberry.

Ekdahl is scheduled to be in court for a pre-trial hearing at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 6 in front of Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Melinda Morris. Throneberry’s scheduled to be back in court for her pre-trial hearing at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 10 in front of Morris.

If anyone believes they have been alleged victims of Ekdahl and Throneberry, call Iverson at 734-794-6930 ext. 49321 or local law enforcement officials.

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