Casey Shane Thomas, 18, and Jeremy Michael Mulkey, 19, both of Athens, and Barry William Burbank, 20, of Sweetwater, are all charged in Bradley County with vandalism over $60,000 for allegedly damaging heavy equipment owned by Wright Brothers Construction.
Three pieces of equipment being used at the Cleveland Municipal Airport construction site were discovered heavily damaged Nov. 16.
A number of incidents in McMinn County involving items reportedly thrown from several Interstate 75 overpasses, including a fan motor which struck the Voices of Lee bus, led to an enhanced investigation.
When the three were arrested last week, Sheriff Joe Guy of the McMinn County Sheriff’s Office reported they admitted to the airport and overpass incidents.
Thomas, of Athens, was charged by McMinn County Sheriff’s Office investigators with three counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of felony vandalism over $500 and one count of criminal conspiracy to commit reckless homicide; Burbank, of Sweetwater, was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment and two counts of felony vandalism over $500; and Mulkey, of Athens, was charged with three counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of felony vandalism over $500, 18 counts of attempted reckless homicide and one count of criminal conspiracy to commit reckless homicide.
In McMinn County General Sessions Court Tuesday, Judge James Watson arraigned the men on the charges.
Investigators with McMinn County reported last week after the trio was arrested that none had significant prior criminal histories.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Jan. 14, according to McMinn court officials.
Watson lowered bonds for the three defendants.
Mulkey was held under a $113,000 bond. His bond was reduced to $25,000.
Thomas was being held under an $83,000 bond, though a reduction to $15,000 was set, and Burbank was held under a $13,000 bond reduced to $5,000. Guy said his office was to transfer the three defendants to Bradley County where they would appear before Bradley County General Sessions Court Judge Sheridan Randolph.
Mulkey, Thomas and Burbank are currently being held without bond at the Bradley County Jail.
Lt. Eric Allman of the McMinn Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division on Tuesday said amendments to charges and possibly additional charges still exist in the McMinn County cases.
“We will possibly be presenting this in the January session of the McMinn County Grand Jury,” said Allman.
