Carder
Grimm
By Sheryl Roadcap
TROY — A Bradford woman who was involved with the theft of tools and construction equipment across a 10-county-area with a Columbus man, who in November was sentenced to over a decade in prison, was sentenced to five years of community control for her part in the crime spree.
Morgan L. Carder, 25, was sentenced to five years of community control by Judge Stacy M. Wall in the Miami County Court of Common Pleas on Friday, Dec. 15, after being convicted of three felonies, according to court documents. She is also ordered to pay $28,796.11 in restitution to three victims, plus court costs and a monthly supervision fee.
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. On Dec. 15, the charges Carder entered a guilty plea to, include, two counts of receiving stolen property, fifth-degree felonies; and theft, a fifth-degree felony.
Although the court found Carder’s “conduct was more serious than conduct normally constituting an offense pursuant to R.C. 252512 (B)(2) and (7) for organized criminal activity and serious economic harm. (She) the defendant had minimal criminal history, no prior felony convictions and was not adjudicated as a juvenile. (Carder) the defendant was convicted of misdemeanor receiving stolen property after the instant offense and successfully completed probation.” Court documents further say, “the court recognizes the defendant (Carder) is on active community control on two cases for the same types of offenses that all occurred within a certain time period and the defendant (Carder) has had no community control violations since being placed on community control. …”
On Nov. 28, Derek V. Grimm, 35, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by Wall in the Miami County Court of Common Pleas, 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 includes:
• 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 Carder 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.
Miami County detectives collaborated with law enforcement agencies in all of the affected counties to bring Grimm and Carder to justice. It was decided by all involved counties to prosecute all of the crimes in Miami County.
