A man hired for house painting at a residence in mid-valley has been charged with four felonies for allegedly stealing four handguns from the home.
Matthew Neal Robertson, 28, was formally charged with four counts of grand theft Monday in Blaine County Magistrate Court. Court records list a Ketchum address for Robertson, but police reports state that he has been more recently living in Boise.
According to court records, the case was filed against Robertson on Sept. 17 and he was arrested several days later. He is currently free on $5,000 bond.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 20 and Hailey attorney Cheri Hicks was appointed public defender.
A probable-cause affidavit filed by Blaine County Sheriff's Detective Mark Dalton alleges that Robertson stole the guns while the owner was away from the home on Desperado Drive between March 1 and June 27. Dalton reported that the owner had hired Robertson and another man to do inside painting while she was away and that she found the guns missing when she returned home.
Dalton wrote that Robertson sold three of the guns to Boise Gun Co. and the fourth weapon in a personal sale to one of the company's owners.
The total value of the weapons was estimated at $2,500.
Dalton wrote that Robertson said he found the weapons in a garbage can at the residence.
Terry Smith: tsmith@mtexpress.com