Man pleads innocent to theft of safe from home

The Daily Inter Lake

A Kalispell man has pleaded innocent to stealing a safe containing tens of thousands of dollars in cash and gold coins from an Evergreen home.

During his arraignment Thursday in Flathead County District Court, Ben Therrien, 19, entered not guilty pleas to accountability to burglary and felony theft.

According to court documents, Therrien and three other men planned and executed the March 29 burglary of a Willow Drive home.

Therrien reportedly knew about the safe from one of the alleged victim's family members.

Three other 19-year-old men have been charged in connection with the heist. Lance Gendreau also is charged with accountability to burglary and felony theft. Quinn Brockman and Chris Nicodemus are charged with burglary and felony theft.

Brockman has been arrested, but investigators believe Gendreau and Nicodemus may have taken the cash and gold coins out of the state, Deputy Flathead County Attorney Alison E. Howard said.

The exact value of the items taken has yet to be determined, but reports suggest they are worth upwards of $50,000.

After breaking in through a window, the men removed the safe from the home, emptied it out at Therrien's residence, and then dumped it in the river, prosecutors allege.

Therrien was arrested after investigators received an anonymous tip naming him and his three co-defendants. In interviews with detectives, Therrien admitted to knowing about the burglary and to driving Brockman and Nicodemus to the house to steal the safe.

A one-ounce gold coin was found in Therrien's pocket, court papers say.

If convicted, Therrien and his co-defendants could face up to 30 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.