Woman charged in burglary of Union home
A Union Township woman was arrested Thursday by Southwest Regional police, and a warrant was obtained for her brother in connection with the burglary of a township residence last December.
Melissa Clipp, 27, of 303 Courtney Hill Road, Finleyville, was arraigned before District Judge Jay Weller on charges of burglary, theft, conspiracy and false reports to police. A warrant was obtained for her brother, Thomas Clipp III, 30, of Finleyville, on charges of conspiracy, obstructing law enforcement and tampering with evidence.
Their father, Thomas A. Clipp Jr., 52, is awaiting trial on charges of hindering apprehension, obstructing the administration of law enforcement and tampering with evidence in connection with the same case.
William Biles told police Dec. 13 that his home at 4236 Finleyville-Elrama Road had been entered and five guns were stolen. Biles told police there were no signs of forced entry or that the home had been ransacked.
Biles told police that he had allowed Thomas Clipp III to stay in the basement of his home. The guns had been stored in the basement.
Two days after the burglary was reported, Southwest Regional police Lt. Stephen Schwartz talked with the father of Melissa and Thomas Clipp. Thomas Clipp Jr. told police that his son wanted to cooperate in the investigation. Schwartz asked the elder Clipp to have his son contact police, but no contact was made.
Police said the father and son returned four of the five stolen guns to Biles. The elder Clipp reportedly asked Biles not to seek charges, but he pursued the case.
Schwartz talked with Thomas Clipp Jr. in late December. Clipp allegedly claimed that he found the guns that were returned to Biles in the woods after hearing “two crackheads arguing about the guns from behind a wall.” According to police, when Schwartz told Clipp he was not telling the truth, his response was that he was not “putting my kids in jail. I would have to bail them both out.”
Melissa Clipp met with Schwartz in January. She reportedly told police that Biles gave her the guns to sell. She claimed he made a telephone call to her, but later admitted there was no such call, police said.
Police said they learned later that Melissa Clipp asked her brother to leave a door or window open at the Biles residence so she could enter when everyone was at work and steal the guns.
Melissa Clipp is free on $10,000 unsecured bond. A preliminary hearing is set for April 8 before District Judge James Ellis.