The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department arrested four people who are believed to have been connected to a theft ring in the metro-east.

Three local taverns were burglarized over the past few weeks: Crazy Train Saloon in Burksville on Aug. 29, Freeda’s in Renault on Aug. 31 and Fountain Inn near Valmeyer on Sept. 10.

Seth W. Sorensen, 44, of Belleville and Amy Medford, 33, of East Carondelet were each charged with burglary for the Freeda’s incident, during which money from video gaming machines was stolen. 

Sorensen was also charged with possession of burglary tools following an arrest in the Taco Bell parking lot in Columbia earlier this month.

Sorensen and Myers have each also been charged in Madison County with burglary to a bar in Pontoon Beach, police said.

Shaun A. Myers, 38, of Caseyville and Jacklyn I. McCormack, 30, of Belleville were each charged with burglary in connection with the Fountain Inn incident, during which wires were cut at the rear of the business.

Myers and McCormack were arrested during a traffic stop near Denny’s in Waterloo on Sept. 10 and charged with possession of methamphetamine. A third person in that arrest, Amanda Latimer, 42, of Granite City, died after swallowing a baggie containing a unknown substance.

Myers was charged with breaking into a video gaming terminal at Caseyville Mini Mart on Sept. 7 and may also be connected to a gaming system break-in at Caseyville Inn, police said.

These arrests were part of a multi-jurisdiction investigation involving the Caseyville, Columbia, Belleville, Edwardsville, Granite City, Pontoon Beach and Waterloo police departments, Metropolitan Enforcement Group of Southern Illinois, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Unit, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.

The MCSD is still investigating the burglary to Crazy Train Saloon. 

Anyone with information regarding that burglary is asked to contact MCSD investigator Justin Biggs at 618-939-8651, ext. 244.