CULLMAN – Cullman County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) investigators this week arrested Benjamin Scott Guthrie, 30, of Mt. Olive for five counts of burglary, five counts of receiving stolen property, and unlawful possession of prescription medication. Also arrested was Toni Marcia Duke, 38, of Mt. Olive for five counts of burglary, five counts of receiving stolen property, one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, one count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of forgery.
Investigators were busy the last couple weeks as the suspects, Guthrie and Duke, were involved in several burglaries in the Crane Hill community near Smith Lake. During the course of the investigation, investigators visited Duke’s residence after she reported her car stolen. While officers were there, the other suspect, Guthrie, drove by and a traffic stop was conducted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) and CCSO due to Guthrie possibly being involved in a traffic incident earlier in the day. During the stop, investigators found prescription medication belonging to a victim of an earlier burglary.
Guthrie admitted to being Duke's boyfriend, after which investigators obtained a search warrant for Duke's residence and vehicle, where they recovered stolen property from several other victims.
Many of the items stolen by Guthrie and Duke have been recovered by CCSO investigators, including several guns, one Toshiba laptop, two sets of golf clubs, two samurai swords and many other items.
“It’s great to get these thieves behind bars. A person’s home is where we all should feel the most secure and when a thief violates that sanctuary we at the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office will work to make sure they stay in jail,” said Sheriff Matt Gentry. “I am proud of the job the investigators did in arresting these suspects and recovering the property they have stolen so that we can get it back to the owners.”
Guthrie and Duke are currently being held in the Cullman County Detention Center. Guthrie’s bond is set at $160,000 and Duke's bond at $168,000.
