Crime & Safety
Reservist Pawns Gear to Fund Opiate Addiction, Lies to Police
Suspect tells police his ACU gear was stolen; however, investigators find out he pawned the items himself to finance his opiate addiction.
A Menomonee Falls Army reservist is facing charges after he allegedly lied about having some of his equipment stolen out of his vehicle and instead pawned it to fuel his opiate addiction.
Thomas J. Grochowski, 24, was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Tuesday with one count of obstructing an officer. If convicted, he faces up to nine months in prison and $10,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint:
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On March 14, Grochowski went to the Menomonee Falls Police Department and said $2,900 worth of Army ACU military gear had been stolen out of his vehicle while it was parked near Menomonee River Parkway and Wheeler Drive. He said he parked at 10:30 a.m. to take a run and after returning an hour later the equipment was gone.
Police officers then called Grochowski’s supervising sergeant who confirmed the equipment was valued at about $3,000.
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A Falls police officer then went to the Army and Navy Surplus Store in downtown Milwaukee to see if anyone had tried to pawn the items there after the theft. However, the owner remembered Grochowski’s name and pulled up sales records showing he had pawned the allegedly stolen items on two different occasions in February for a total of $250.
Grochowski admitted to making a false police report, saying he pawned the equipment so he could get money to finance his opiate addiction.
He will make his initial appearance in court July 9.
