La Harpe burglary suspects get status hearing

After a preliminary status hearing with their attorneys Wednesday, suspects in the robbery of a La Harpe business will have another preliminary status hearing at 1:30 p.m. March 9 in Iola.

Arrested Jan. 9 on charges of arson, burglary, felony theft and conspiracy to commit burglary were Stevie Joe Hall, 41, a male juvenile and James Edward LaRoche, 20, all of Fort Scott.

Property and approximately $30,000 in cash was stolen -- some of it burned or singed -- from Ray's Metal Depot, 320 W. U.S. Highway 54, in La Harpe.

Assistant Allen County Attorney Wade Bowie said Hall is still in the Allen County Jail on a $50,000 bond and LaRoche, who had the same bond set, has bonded out.

The 17-year-old male was being held in the Southeast Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center Inc. in Girard.

Hall is being represented by Jay Witt of the State of Kansas Public Defender's office in Chanute. LaRoche's attorney is John Gillett of Fredonia.

The preliminary status hearing was held Wednesday at the Allen County Courthouse before Magistrate Judge Tom Saxton.

Following the March hearing, a preliminary hearing will be held to determine probable cause.

The judge will hear evidence and determine whether sufficient cause exists to bind the defendants over to an arraignment.

The arraignment is where the defendants would plead guilty, not guilty or no contest, Bowie said. He said after the preliminary hearing, District Judge Dan Creitz would probably take up the matter.

The suspects were taken into custody with the help of the Bourbon County Sheriff's Office and Fort Scott Police Department.

Ray Maloney, who has owned Ray's Metal Depot, 320 W. U.S. Highway 54, for 19 years, has said he moved into his current building in 2008 after having his business broken into five or six times at a previous location.

The new building had many security features including eight surveillance cameras, offices constructed of concrete block, pay windows with bulletproof glass and a built-in safe.