BIDWELL — Over a dozen firearm stolen from a local gun shop last week have been recovered by Gallia County Sheriff’s Deputies, and charges are pending against the man accused in the break-in.
According to Gallia County Sheriff Joe Browning, deputies are currently investigating a break-in that occurred at the Bidwell Bait & Tackle store on Ohio 554 in Bidwell sometime during Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
Joshua Moore, 27, Bidwell, has been identified as a suspect in this case and, following his arrest by deputies on Thursday afternoon, is currently being held in the Gallia County Jail on the unrelated charges of driving under suspension and probation violations from the Scioto County Common Pleas Court.
Deputies will be consulting with the office of the Gallia County Prosecutor in reference to charges against Moore in connection with the thefts, according to Browning.
Deputies further encourage anyone with information in this case to contact the sheriff’s office via their anonymous tip-line at (740) 446-6555.
According to the Scioto County Clerk of Courts online docket, in two separate 2008 cases, Moore was indicted for a charge of burglary and a charge of failing to appear.
In March 2009, Moore entered a guilty plea in both of his Scioto County cases, pleading guilty to a third-degree-felony burglary charge and a fourth-degree-felony charge of failing to appear.
He was subsequently sentenced to serve four years in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for burglary and 11 months for failing to appear — sentences ordered to be served concurrently.
Judicial release was later granted to the defendant and Moore was released from prison in August 2011 and placed on three years of probation with the Scioto County Adult Probation Department.
The online docket in this case further indicates that Moore, following his release, was given the specific condition that he must be placed in an “intensive supervision program” for a minimum of six months.
Moore was also reportedly notified by the court that he must “abide by all laws including, but not limited to, the laws related to firearms and dangerous ordinances.”
Orders for arrest were filed in this case on two separate occasions for alleged probation violations but were later dismissed, according to the docket.
The latest entry in this case is also an order for arrest for the defendant who has reportedly failed to report to the Scioto County Probation Department for scheduled office visits since January 16, 2013.
















