WATERFORD — A Naples man has been charged with breaking into the home of a Maine State Police trooper and stealing jewelry.

Thor Sinclair Sr., 38, of 23 Jug Town Road, faces charges of burglary and theft by unauthorized taking. His bail was initially set at $20,000, but at his bail hearing Wednesday it was lowered to $5,000 or $50,000 worth of  real estate.

According to a report by Maine State Trooper Thomas Welch, on Dec. 8 Sinclair broke into the Waterford home of Trooper Andre Paradis, who came home to find someone had been there and stolen some of his girlfriend’s jewelry.

Witnesses said they’d seen a black GMC Yukon near Paradis’ home while he was gone. “One of the witnesses added that a female was observed driving and it appeared that someone else was in the vehicle with her,” Welch said.

Welch said another Trooper Adam Fillebrown gathered information on a suspicious incident where a woman said she heard a knock at the door of her Poland home. When she got to the door, she said a young man and a young woman saw her and jumped into a black GMC Yukon.

The woman got part of the license plate number, and noted the plate had an American flag. Welch said the flag meant it was a disabled veteran’s plate. It was traced to a Naples man, who said he couldn’t drive and had given the SUV to his daughter and her husband.

Welch contacted the man’s daughter, Kristy Engleheart, and met with her and Sinclair. According to the report, Engleheart had driven Sinclair to several homes. She said they had sold several pieces of gold and jewelry to pawn shops in Windham and Portland.

Engleheart has not been charged.

Welch said he asked about the burglary of Paradis’ home.

“Kristy did recall Thor making a comment about seeing a state police uniform in one of the homes they had been at and being scared that he would be caught,” Welch wrote.

According to the report, Sinclair has denied burglarizing homes and stealing items.

The investigation is ongoing. Welch submitted a GPS unit confiscated from the Yukon to the Computer Crimes Unit, which may be able to trace the Yukon’s route.

Sinclair was transported to the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn after his bail hearing on Wednesday. He is due to appear in Oxford County Superior Court on March 6.

treaves@sunjournal.com

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