TAMA COUNTY, Iowa — A Marshalltown man has been arrested in connection to a pair of burglaries targeting American Legions in Iowa.

In late December the American Legions in Gladbrook and Garwin reported being burglarized. According to court documents, the American Legion at 421 Johnston Street in Gladbrook reported a money bag with $400 in cash had been stolen from a rifle cabinet after a side door to the building had been left unlocked overnight. The American Legion at 601 3rd Street in Garwin reported that one of the building’s doors and two of their gaming machines had been significantly damaged — costing over several thousand dollars in repairs.

On Thursday 42-year-old Matthew Lee Moore was arrested in connection to the burglaries. Moore has been charged with two counts of third-degree burglary and one count of third-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal mischief, and ongoing criminal conduct – unlawful activity.

According to a criminal complaint, video footage obtained by the Tama County Sheriff’s Office from other law enforcement agencies investigating similar burglaries identified Moore as the suspect by his unusually thick glasses and gait. The vehicle also believed to be connected to the burglaries match the 2005 Ford F-150 that’s registered to Moore, the complaint states.

Around the same time that the Gladbrook and Garwin American Legions were burglarized, the Marshalltown VFW and Newton American Legion also reported being burglarized. Moore has not been officially charged in connection to those burglaries.

This isn’t the first burglary spree that Moore has been accused of. Court records state Moore pled guilty to a spree that included at least nine burglaries across the state in 2020. According to the Times-Republican, Moore was sentenced to up to 15 years in prison in the case.

Moore is being held at the Tama County Jail on a $75,000 bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for January 24.

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