Richmond man charged with burglarizing site of massive warehouse fire

Douglas Walker, Richmond Palladium-Item
·1 min read
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Smoke rises from an industrial fire April 11, 2023, at 358 NW F St. in Richmond.

RICHMOND, Ind. — A Richmond man has been accused of breaking into the site of a massive warehouse fire that burned for several days in April and resulted in evacuations of nearby neighborhoods.

Robert Lee Laster, 32, was charged Tuesday in Wayne Superior Court 2 with burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and possession of meth.

Richmond police arrested Laster on Monday after receiving a report of "a suspicious person cutting copper wire with a grinder inside the secured facility of My Way Trading" along Northwest F Street.

An officer reported he observed Laster "banging a pipe on the ground, trying to remove the copper wire contained in the pipe."

The officer said when he arrived, the intruder was being watched by Richmond firefighters.

More: One month later: City of Richmond outlines cleanup plan following large industrial fire

When he was taken into custody, the Richmond man was determined to have a loaded handgun in his pocket. Because of his criminal record — including a 2019 conviction for arson in Lee County, Virginia — Laster is prohibited from possessing firearms.

Also found in his possession was a plastic bag containing meth.

Asked why he was stealing items from the property, Laster reportedly said he "had to eat somehow."

Laster continued to be held in the Wayne County jail on Thursday under a $17,500 bond. The firearm count against him is a Level 4 felony carrying up to 12 years in prison, while the burglary and meth charges are Level 5 felonies with maximum six-year sentences.

In Wayne County, Laster has been convicted of misdemeanor counts of conversion and possession of marijuana.

The former Hartford City resident was also convicted of possession of a controlled substance in Blackford County in 2011.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Richmond man charged with burglarizing site of Richmond warehouse fire