Deputies Recover Stolen Vehicles, Two Arrested In Theft Investigation

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday two people have been arrested and charged and two more suspects face charges in an investigation that spanned more than a month and resulted in several vehicles being stolen.

Around $113,000 in stolen property was recovered.

James B. Fowler, Jr., and Benjamin Ellert have been charged.

Fowler Jr. is being held in the Franklin County Adult Detention Facility with the following:

 - Four felony counts of receiving stolen property 

 - One count of being in possession of equipment or parts with altered identification numbers

 - One count of felony resisting arrest

The bond was set at $20,000.

Ellert was charged with stealing a motor vehicle and is being held at the Franklin County Adult Detention Facility on a $35,000 cash-only bond. 

Sheriff Steven Pelton said it is believed Fowler, Ellert and the two other suspects have been working together to commit various crimes.

According to Pelton, on Oct. 28 Deputies responded to the 1800 block of North Commercial Avenue, Saint Clair, in reference to a burglary investigation. The reporting party indicated that his 2021 Honda UTV, a Honda Four Wheeler, and a Club Cart Golf Cart had been stolen from the property, as well as a generator, air compressor, and other tools. 

Upon learning of this incident, Property Crimes Detectives with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation. On 10/31/2022 Detectives obtained a photograph from a citizen that showed the victim’s golf cart in the bed of a gray Ford F-250 that was pulling a black enclosed trailer.  Detectives were able to quickly identify the two males in the photograph and it was dispersed to Road Patrol Deputies as well. It was learned the driver of the F-250 was Fowler.

A short time later, Detectives received a phone call from a Patrol Deputy, indicating he had one of the male subjects from the photograph detained and that subject was also in possession of the black enclosed trailer. 

Detectives responded to the deputy's location in the 200 block of Tranquility Lane, Lonedell, MO. Upon their investigation, it was learned the black enclosed trailer had been reported stolen from the Osage County Health Department and that a large hospitality tent was inside of the trailer upon its theft.  

The tent was valued at several thousand dollars. However, the trailer was empty when Detectives located it. The male subject was arrested and interviewed, however, his identity is not being released at this time pending further investigation. 

The hospitality tent was later located in the area of Melton Lane in St. Clair. Both the trailer and tent have been returned to the Osage County Health Department. 

Lqater that day, Detectives obtained more intel and responded to a river lot on Fish Trap Rapids Loop, Robertsville MO. In plain view in the front yard of the cabin, Detectives observed the stolen golf cart from the original burglary. The home was determined to be where James B. Fowler Jr. was residing. 

 No one was home at this time and a search warrant for the property was obtained.  The following items were located on the property:

 - Stolen 2022 Kawasaki Teryx UTV---Stolen from Jefferson County, MO 

 - Stolen 2016 Harley Davidson Motorcycle---Stolen from Rosebud, MO

 - A Suzuki Motorcycle with a defaced VIN number

 - Stolen 1996 Club Cart Golf Cart

 - An illegal 30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 

On 11/01/2022, Property Crimes Detectives were in the area of Lonedell, Missouri attempting to locate James Fowler Jr. During this time frame, Franklin Co Missouri 911/Communications received a 911 call indicating the caller's 2020 Chevrolet Dump Truck had just been stolen from his residence near Highway 30 and Highway N, Lonedell. 

Within minutes, Detectives responded to a home in the 5000 block of Highway N and located the stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, witnesses indicated the driver of the stolen truck parked the vehicle and fled toward the back of the property, where a camper was located. It was learned that the sole occupant of the camper was an elderly male with severe medical conditions. Contact was attempted at the front door of the camper for several minutes, however, no response was obtained. Movement was heard inside the camper by Detectives. Given the severe medical issues the resident of the camper suffers from, the primary property owner wished for Deputies to force entry into the camper to perform a well-being check on the elderly subject. Entry was made inside the camper and the resident was located unharmed. 

However, a second white male was located hiding in the back bedroom of the camper. This male was not the driver of the stolen truck, however, he was identified as the second male captured in the photograph of the stolen black trailer.  He was taken into custody and interviewed, however his identity is not being released at this time due to an ongoing investigation. 

The elderly male indicated the subject must’ve broken into his camper while he was asleep, as he did not know who the subject was. After taking this male into custody, a witness identified the driver of the stolen truck as Benjamin Ellert. 

While working this incident, Deputies were patrolling the area of Highway N near Oak Grove Church Road, hoping to find the driver of the truck walking on foot. Instead, Deputies located two four wheelers parked in the woods in the 3500 block of Highway N. These four wheelers were seized and later learned to be stolen from a property not far from where they were located. 

A short time after this incident, Detectives were contacted by a Franklin County Sergeant indicating that he had just chased a white male on foot he believed to be James Fowler Jr. It was learned that James Fowler Jr. was out on bond from a felony case in Jefferson County. One of the conditions of his bond required him to wear a GPS ankle monitoring device. Detectives then made contact with the company that monitors the GPS movements, and they informed Detectives that James Fowler’s ankle monitor was currently pinging in the area of Robertsville State Park, near Red Tail Hawk Loop. Deputies, Detectives, and a Sheriff’s Office K9 converged on the area.  Deputies located a subject in a wooded section of the State Park. A foot pursuit was initiated, and Deputies gave chase. The Sheriff’s Office K9 was able to locate James Fowler Jr hiding in a creek. He was taken into custody without further incident. 

James Fowler Jr. was interviewed by Detectives, where he confessed to being in possession of all the stolen items recovered during the aforementioned search warrant. He also confessed to leading Jefferson County Deputies in a vehicle pursuit the same day the search warrant was conducted at his residence. 

On 10/04/2022 Detectives located Benjamin Ellert in Jefferson County, MO and he was taken into custody in reference to the stolen dump truck from 11/01/2022. Benjamin Ellert was interviewed and confessed to stealing the dump truck.