Thurmont farm owner faces five charges

by Courtney Pomeroy

Staff Writer

The initial court appearance for Jan H. Lawyer, the owner of Winterbrook Farm in Thurmont who was charged with theft in June for allegedly possessing several large pieces of stolen farming equipment, has been moved to Sept. 9.

Lawyer was originally charged in Frederick County District Court but his case has been forwarded to Frederick County Circuit Court.

Five counts against Lawyer, 52, are for theft between $10,000 and $100,000 and carry a potential 15-year jail sentence and $15,000 fine. One count is for theft between $1,000 and $10,000, which carries a potential 10-year jail sentence and $10,000 fine.

According to court documents, an investigation of large farm equipment thefts in the county began within the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office in the spring of 2010.

Investigators linked several pieces of stolen equipment to Lawyer throughout a year-long investigation. At one point in the investigation, Lawyer was interviewed and said that “he has purchased several pieces of equipment over the past several years that were possibly stolen,” according to court documents. He told investigators that he had made several purchases where the price was far below market value.

Investigators also recovered six pieces of equipment including a backhoe, a mini-excavator, two skid loaders, a skid loader bucket and an auger (a tool for boring holes in wood) from Lawyer’s properties.

The equipment had been reported stolen as far back as 2003 and from as far away as Baltimore. A seventh piece of stolen equipment, another backhoe, was found at a Keymar property. The owner of that property told investigators that he received the backhoe as payment for construction work he did for Lawyer several years ago.

Recently, it was determined that enough evidence was available to charge Lawyer with theft, according to Cpl. Jennifer Bailey, spokesperson for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

“He is being charged under the theft statute, which encompasses possessing stolen property,” Bailey said previously.

An attorney for Lawyer is not yet listed. Assistant State's Attorney Shelley McVicker will represent the state. Lawyer’s initial court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sept. 9 at the Frederick County Courthouse.

A woman who answered the home phone number for Lawyer listed in court documents declined to comment on the case.

Investigators are still looking for other suspects and accomplices in the case. Anyone with information should call 301-600-1872.

cpomeroy@gazette.net