Jennings County Sheriff’s Office Recover $40K in Stolen Tools
DUPONT, Ind. — Two men are behind bars after Jennings County sheriff’s deputies tracked down a suspect vehicle, leading to a full confession and the recovery of approximately $40,000 worth of stolen commercial construction equipment.
The investigation began on Saturday, May 23, 2026, when the Jennings County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a commercial burglary that had occurred the previous night. A construction crew operating in the Dupont area—located roughly 14 miles south of North Vernon—reported that a cache of their professional tools had been stolen from a local building.
The breakthrough in the case came quickly. Lt. Thomas Mellencamp spotted a vehicle matching the description of the suspect transport. Deputy Max Marcoux then initiated a targeted traffic stop on the vehicle, identifying the two people inside as Joshua Hahn and Kevin Vaughn.
During the roadside investigation, both Hahn and Vaughn admitted to investigators that they had broken into the Dupont area building the night before to steal the construction crew’s gear.
A subsequent search of the suspect vehicle yielded significant results:
Stolen Property: Deputies recovered the entire cache of stolen construction tools, valued at an estimated $40,000. All items were safely returned to the rightful owners.
Contraband: Alongside the heavy machinery and hand tools, deputies discovered an undisclosed amount of methamphetamine and illicit drug paraphernalia hidden inside the vehicle.
Both suspects were taken into custody without further incident and transported to the local jail. Hahn and Vaughn currently face multiple criminal counts, including burglary, theft, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of paraphernalia.
The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office commended the responding deputies for their proactive community policing and swift action in returning the stolen livelihood back to the victimized construction crew.
