WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAU) — Charges are being filed against the Chippewa Falls man that committed a number of gasoline thefts using an altered license plate.
Lieutenant Michael Yuedes from the Wausau Police Department says tips from the public and other law enforcement agencies located the blue Ford Focus ZTS and its owner, 34-year-old Barry J. Ellis II of Chippewa Falls.
Yuedes says Ellis has a history of making gas skips, and they are aware of eight instances in the Wausau area alone. “Charges have been sent to the DA’s office for at least eight gas skips, and there were some retail thefts involved as well that he committed while using this vehicle. Sometimes this plate, and sometimes another.”
Some items taken from Wausau Fleet Farm, and there are some other charges in different communities.
The Lieutenant is also aware of a gas skip Ellis committed in Cadott, and says Chippewa County authorities immediately recognized him and the vehicle when a photograph from a Wausau area Kwik Trip store was distributed statewide over the Crime Alert Network.
Yuedes says Chippewa County deputies tracked down the owner of the license plate used in the crimes, which happened to be the roommate of Ellis, who now owns the car. “Well, he’s the owner now. Originally, this plate belonged to his roommate and went with the car. He bought it from him, and got a different plate, and kept this plate and modified it so that he could make his gas skips.”
The license plate was altered by Ellis to avoid getting caught, but officers were able to examine photos and figure out what the real numbers and letters were. “It was actually 3-3-6, and it was changed to 8-8-6, and the ‘U’ in the first digit here was actually a ‘J’”
Yuedes says Chippewa County deputies confiscated the altered plate from the trunk of the car when conducting a search.
Ellis is still free, but will likely have to make a bond appearance in Marathon County court after charges are filed. Electronic court records show Ellis has an extensive history of prior gas thefts, receiving stolen property, identity theft, hit-and-run, and obstructing officers. Most of those offenses are in Chippewa, Eau Claire, and Barron Counties.
