BLANCHESTER — Four men have been indicted by a Clinton County grand jury following an intensive investigation into the theft of several thousands of dollars’ worth of tools and property from the 200 block of East Main Street.

The following individuals were indicted at the March 22 session of the Clinton County Common Pleas Grand Jury:

– Denver L. Melampy, 44, incarcerated on other crimes: breaking and entering, receiving stolen property

– Arnold J. Smith, 20, Middletown: breaking and entering, receiving stolen property

– Devin S. Johnson, 20, currently incarcerated: breaking and entering, receiving stolen property.

– Jaden R. Johnson, 23, Wilmington: breaking and entering, receiving stolen property.

All four will be summoned to appear in Clinton County Common Pleas Court.

In September 2022, the Blanchester Police Department took a report of the breaking and entering incident on East Main Street, according to BPD Chief Robert Houghton.

“This case was very complex and required a great amount of investigative work,” Houghton stated in a news release. “After several months and an immense number of records gone through, several suspects were identified and the case was forwarded to the Clinton County Prosecutor’s Office for consideration of presentation to grand jury.”

The investigation has been ongoing and has included multiple interviews, Houghton said.

He added: “Despite the time it took from report to charges, our detective worked diligently on this case, and others simultaneously, to bring about resolution.”