A man first charged with breaking into a single vehicle and ending up being accused of doing the same thing six more times appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Twenty-six-year-old Nathaniel Ryan Kramer of Salesville has been an inmate in the Baxter County jail since July 28 with bond set at slightly more than $50,000.
He requested that the court consider lowering his bond, but Circuit Judge John Putman said, given the lengthy list of charges, he felt the bond was fair.
Kramer has already pled not guilty to a large number of charges, including multiple counts of breaking or entering, trafficking in drugs, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia and theft by receiving.
A jury trial is now set for the week of January 3, 2023.
LIST OF CRIMES GROWS
In late July, the Baxter County Sheriff’s office opened an investigation into the theft of a pistol from Big Steve’s Pawnshop. A tip was received that the stolen weapon had been traded to Kramer for drugs.
Shortly after the investigation was opened, a report of a person breaking into a vehicle was received by the sheriff’s office. A description of the suspect was broadcast and a deputy reported coming in contact with a male matching the description walking down a highway.
KRAMER ON PAROLE
The man was stopped and identified as Kramer. Earlier in the investigation, Kramer had been reported to be on active parole with a signed search waiver on file.
A parole officer in the Mountain Home ACC office was contacted and a compliance visit was made at Kramer’s residence.
The search turned up a number of drugs including 75 grams of a fentanyl-methamphetamine mixture and 49 grams of marijuana. Several items of drug paraphernalia, including digital scales and devices used for smoking both methamphetamine and marijuana, were also located.
SUSPECT LAWYERS UP
At one point, Kramer is reported to have admitted to breaking into two vehicles and being given the pistol reported stolen at the pawnshop in exchange for a quantity of meth and $125.
By the time Kramer was transported to the Baxter County jail, other reports of vehicle break-ins in the same general area were being received.
Four of the vehicles were in the same location at an address along State Highway 5 South. A surveillance video is alleged to show Kramer going from vehicle-to-vehicle opening doors to the ones left unlocked and helping himself to the contents.
After investigators saw the video, they brought Kramer back to the Criminal Investigation Division and began a process of tying to tie vehicles with items of stolen property.
In the probable cause affidavit it is noted that Kramer was having trouble completing the task. Investigators surmise that Kramer, “had broken into so many vehicles, he does not remember what items belong to what vehicles.”
When confronted with the mounting amount of new evidence, Kramer asked for an attorney.
According to electronic court files, Kramer has had a number of criminal cases opened against him in several Arkansas Counties. Most of the charges have stemmed from alleged property thefts.
At one point, Kramer was freed on his own recognizance to check into an in-patient therapy program. He was not in the program long, however. Records show he climbed over a fence and took off with his girlfriend.
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