Grimm
TROY — A Columbus man who committed countless thefts of tools and construction equipment across a 10-county-area, including Auglaize County, has been sentenced to over a decade in prison.
Derek V. Grimm, 35, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by Judge Stacy M. Wall in the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday after being convicted on 33 felony and misdemeanor charges, according to court documents. The charges he entered a guilty plea to and were accepted by Wall prior to sentencing included:
• Engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a first-degree felony;
• Conspiracy, a second-degree felony;
• Tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony;
• Three counts of receiving stolen property, fifth-degree felonies;
• 18 counts of petty theft and theft, varying from 12 fifth-degree felonies, four fourth-degree felonies, and 2 first-degree misdemeanors;
• Four counts of breaking and entering into unoccupied structure to commit any theft offense, fifth-degree felonies.
• Five counts of theft without consent of owner, first-degree misdemeanors.
In March, a Miami County grand jury indicted Grimm and Morgan L. Carder, 25, of Bradford, for their crime spree that began in November 2021 and ended in March 2023. The pair targeted construction sites, tool trailers and storage sheds. It is estimated that upward of around $100,000 worth of construction equipment and tools were stolen over that period of time. The thefts occurred in Miami, Darke, Shelby, Auglaize, Montgomery, Logan, Fayette, Delaware, Fairfield and Franklin Counties.
Grimm was indicted for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy, 33 counts of felony theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence, and breaking and entering. Carder was indicted for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy, 10 counts of felony theft, grand theft, receiving stolen property, tampering with evidence, and breaking and entering.
Along with prison time, Grimm was also ordered to pay $51,949.29 in restitution, plus $605 in court costs. Court documents state there are 17 victims, as well as a public park district that serves the community. Grimm is also ordered to mandatory supervision for up to five years, but no less than two years under post release control, pursuant to law. If Grimm has not already done so, he also must submit an DNA sample.
Miami County detectives collaborated with law enforcement agencies in all of the affected counties worked to bring Grimm and Carder to justice. It was decided by all involved counties to prosecute all of the crimes in Miami County.
On Oct. 27, Carder withdrew her previous motion to dismiss and offered a guilty plea in the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on the charges of theft and receiving stolen property, all fifth-degree felonies.
According to court documents, the state then moved to dismiss the remaining charges. A referral was made for a pre-sentence investigation to be conducted prior to Carder’s sentencing, which is set for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15 in the Miami County Court of Common Pleas.
