Footprints in the snow. An Alaska State Trooper, patiently hiding nearby. In a dramatic overnight operation, Alaska State Troopers apprehended 41-year-old Ronald Campbell of Nenana, thwarting what is described as an ongoing burglary. The arrest, made in the early hours of Jan. 16, followed a covert surveillance operation by the Troopers.
It started around 8:05 pm on Jan. 15, when the Troopers were alerted by a homeowner, currently out of town for work, about suspicious activity at his residence. The homeowner had been informed by a neighbor in Nenana about Campbell’s suspicious retreat from the out-of-town man’s residence.
Recognizing the recent surge in thefts and burglaries in the area, the Troopers responded discreetly. On arrival, fresh footprints in the snow led them from the homeowner’s house to an open kitchen window, signaling a break-in. Inside the house, the Trooper discovered a breached gun cabinet with two handguns and ammunition missing, though several long guns remained.
Anticipating the burglar’s return for the remaining firearms, the Trooper secured permission to stay overnight in the house. This strategic decision paid off when Campbell re-entered the home through the kitchen window at around 3:30 am, only to be arrested on the spot. He was found in possession of two axes, a large knife, a backpack with tools, and a drill with drill bits.
Further investigation led the Trooper to backtrack Campbell’s footprints across town to his residence. A search warrant executed at Campbell’s home revealed both stolen handguns, the ammunition, additional weapons including shotguns, rifles, and prohibited items like a sawed-off shotgun and a homemade suppressor. Campbell, a multiple felon, is prohibited from possessing certain firearms, including handguns.
Campbell was remanded to Fairbanks Correctional Center on multiple charges, including Burglary 1st Degree, two counts of Theft 2nd Degree, Theft 4th Degree, Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree, three counts of Misconduct Involving a Weapon 3rd Degree, and Possession of Burglary Tools.
Wow, a good cop story now let’s see if the judge will actually put him in jail or slap his little wrist and let him go back into community living and stealing. I’m sure his lawyer is going to be Scott Kendall.
A sad reality that a comment of this quality is justified by current conditions in our society. So much corruption coming from every direction!
Good on the trooper for his patience in waiting all night to catch the thieving slime ball.
Now, if only we had confidence that our criminal justice system would put him away for a long time, instead of getting a slap on the wrist.
It had to be incredibly frustrating for the home owner to be out of town working, and finding out that his home, that he was working to pay for……..was being ransacked.
This one ended well, in that he got his stuff returned.
Correction to headline: “Trooper LYING in wait”
“Lie” is the proper intransitive verb here. “Lay” is a transitive verb, meaning that the object is doing something to a subject. I suspect that the trooper was not laying eggs while waiting for the burglar.
You are correct. I have fixed the headline. Thanks – sd
Thank you, Suzanne, for taking my grammar Nazi comment with grace.
Oh, I really appreciate it. I think it was the “lying trooper” part that just got me tripped up somehow. – sd
Ed. After you fight with spell check 2 or 3 times you finally just say screw it. They will figure out what I’m trying to say.
That’s my method anyway.
At least the criminal doesn’t have to worry about being in Jail too long with our extremely lax bail laws.
Despite the judiciary outcome to come, our troopers should be in held in high regard for enforcement of the laws. Not at all like APD. Thank you, officers.
These sorts of property crimes – burglary, with the theft of firearms by a felon – deserve the most restrictive bail terms and the sternest punishment short of death. As Moses would say, we must purge this evil from Alaska.
If Ronnie Campbell represents the average Nenanan IQ, the Troopers will eventually need a larger jail cell. Tracks in the snow? Return to the crime scene within hours? Too many reruns of Forensic Files while drinking and smoking pot.
But what else is there to do in Nenana?
When my house was burglarized and my guns were stolen, one of the thieves was caught by the Troopers. He got 90 days and was released from custody after about two weeks. Aircraft parts were also stolen, making the the break in a Federal crime. The FBI said they couldn’t be bothered even though they knew the ring leader who was named by the person who was caught.
He’ll walk, just like Hunter Biden.
Great police work! and no one was injured. Terrific job AST!
Ronnie is both stupid and greedy, he’s been a felony factory for years and a pox upon Nenana.
Look at Courtview regarding him and if you ever so choose, go ask Nenana community leaders, off the record.
How is it that the community tolerates him and his theiving ways is beyond me. I believe they feel helpless in the face of the unconcern historically chosen by the Fairbanks District Attorneys.
The sad news is, folks like the Alaska District Attorney Joe Delaire refuse to understand how great an impact people like Ronnie have upon small towns and villages.
Things will settle down, and the house lawyers of the District Attorney’s Office will see it pled down to Criminal Trespass 1st or one Burglary 1st conviction with time served plus a year or two of probation.
Kudos to the Alaska State Troopers for taking the time to catch this criminal, especially in a time when they are having a hard time recruiting qualified applicants.
Outstanding.
Now lock him up and keep him there.
Great work by the Trooper!
This article said that Campbell is a multiple felon & is prohibited from possessing (certain firearms including handguns), emphasis added. A convicted felon is PROHIBITED from possessing ANY and ALL center-fire or rim-fire fire-arms! The words (prohibited from possessing certain firearms) is INCORRECT! Campbell, as a convicted felon, all the firearm violations fall under Federal Jurisdiction AND come w/a 10yr. sentence PER PROHIBITED FIRE-ARM! Apart from all the (Theft Charges) Campbell is facing, just the 3-Federal Gun Charges should put him away behind bars for 30yrs! Of course there will be the usual (Plea Bargaining) concerning the burglary & theft charges, those are state charges, but the Federal Gun Charges carry a much heavier weight of incarceration & is out of the states jurisdiction. The 2 recovered stolen hand-guns in his possession AND the (sawed-off shotgun) in his possession represent the (three state counts of Misconduct Involving a Weapon 3rd Degree) will not get Campbell a (slap-on-the-wrist) sentence! Good job by the AST busting this problem-child bcuz he’s going to do (Lots-of-Time) this time around! And as far as Scott Kendall is concerned, if he’s the defense atty (probably not), most likely Campbell will get a (Public Defender)! The atty. won’t be able to plea-bargain the Federal Charges down, no matter how much they snivel in court while they attempt to paint Campbell into some poor-rag-tag person w/overwhelming personal issues! They got this bad-boy by his testicles there’s no way outta this mess he’s brought-down on himself. Bad-Boy-Bad-Boy-What-Ya-Gonna-Do…..What-Ya-Gonna-Do…..Now-That-The-Law-Has-It’s-Hands-On-You!!!
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