A man described as homeless who was offered a place to stay and wound up charged with stealing from the good Samaritan appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court last Monday.
Forty-six-year-old John Lawrence Gilbert entered a not guilty plea to charges of theft by receiving.
The victim filed a report saying during a period he had allowed Gilbert, described as a “homeless friend,” to stay in his place of business, he began noticing that items of his property were coming up missing.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim confronted Gilbert and told him that if the items, valued at about $3,000, were not returned a police report would be filed.
The items were not returned and during the investigation it was discovered that Gilbert could not bring the missing items back since it was alleged that he had sold many of them to local pawn shops.
Gilbert made a few court appearances after being charged but disappeared for about eight months. A failure to appear warrant was issued on May 15, 2023.
According to court records, Gilbert was arrested on the failure to appear warrant in Howell County, Missouri in January.
He waived extradition and consented to return to Arkansas to face his charges. The company that wrote Gilbert’s $5,000 bond turned him into the Baxter County jail on January 29 this year.
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