Lyme Man Who Stole Guns From an East Haddam Residence Faces Firearms Charges

Article reported and written by Jayne Keedle, TheLymes Patch Editor

Justin Weissinger, 25, of 151 Brush Hill in Lyme is already facing a long list of charges stemming from a string of burglaries that took place in Lyme last summer. Now, he faces yet more.

Weissinger, who is currently incarcerated as he awaits trial, was served with another arrest warrant when he appeared in New London Superior Court yesterday for a pretrial hearing. The new charges are four counts of criminal possession of a firearm and one count of larceny in the second degree. Total bond was set at $150,000.

According to the arrest affidavit, the new charges stem from two different incidents, a burglary that allegedly took place on May 29, 2012, at 76 Hagen Road in Salem and a burglary reported on March 19, 2012, at 9 Bashan Road in East Haddam.

The Salem homeowner reported that about $2,000 of jewelry and electronics, plus a variety of firearms including a .22 caliber rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, a Beeman model R10 air rifle, a Wisco-70 air rifle, and knives were taken on May 29, 2012. 

The East Haddam homeowner reportedly returned home from a business trip to find his anti-theft safe had been broken into and $9,000 taken, along with a two 12-gauge shotguns, a Ruger 22 semi-automatic rifle, a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver, and a Colt .38 revolver. The total value of items stolen was estimated at about $11,000.

Weissinger was originally arrested on July 10, 2012, following a police chase that began when Montville Police attempted to pull him over for speeding. When police searched his vehicle, they found a knife and a keychain with a set of keys on it. 

Police executed a search and seizure warrant on July 12, 2012, of a red barn on the property of 151 Brush Hill Road in Lyme, where Weissinger's mother shared a home with former Lyme First Selectman William Koch. 

According to the arrest affidavit, guns reported stolen from both the East Haddam and the Salem homes were found in a gun locker in the barn. The key to the locker was on Weissinger's keychain. Koch said the locker was not his and that he hadn't known the locker was there. The locker contained personal items, including bank account receipts and business cards with Justin Weissinger's name on them. 

A criminal background check conducted by the arresting officers from State Police Troop K and Troop E found that Weissinger was already on probation for receiving stolen property and burglary. He is also convicted of burglary in California. 

Although Justin Weissinger is currently incarcerated, he is going to be leaving the state in the custody of California authorities on April 14. Yesterday, the New London Court granted a request from California Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer to have Weissinger appear as a material witness in State of California v. Kevin Cox, Emrys John, Tryone Miller, and Kesaun Sykes. 

Weissinger is expected to testify at that trial on April 15. He will be returned to Connecticut following the trial.