JAY — A local man who police say stole 22 guns and other items from a Walker Hill Road residence was arrested Friday.

The guns, a bottle of rum, a laptop, a chain saw and a bucket of change were recovered with the arrest of Roger Briscoe, 33, of 7 Pleasant Drive in North Jay.

He was charged with felony theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and burglary, and violation of condition of release, police Chief Larry White Sr. said Saturday in a news release.

A conviction on the theft or burglary charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Briscoe was being held Saturday on $5,000 cash bail at the Franklin County jail in Farmington, according to a corrections officer.

Initially, police said two dozens guns were stolen. The weapons included semi-automatic assault rifles, rifles, handguns and shotguns, White said.

Jay Detective Richard Caton IV and Cpl. Jeffrey Fournier began an investigation Friday morning after the burglary was reported. Later, they went to 7 Pleasant Drive in North Jay to follow up on a lead, White said.

Fournier saw a chain saw in a truck that belonged to a woman who lived there, White said. The chain saw matched the description of the one stolen from the Walker Hill home.

Caton could see the serial numbers from the outside of the truck, through a rear window, and they matched the serial numbers of the stolen chain saw, White said.

Caton, Fournier, White and other officers searched the residence and found the rest of the stolen firearms, along with the Captain Morgan’s rum and a laptop computer that were reported stolen, White said.

“Detective Caton and Cpl. Fournier did an outstanding investigation that led to the case being resolved in less than 12 hours, a suspect being arrested and all items recovered,” White said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link