Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Bob Hasch said police recovered two truckloads of jewelry, coins, currency and other collectibles from Ronald Fuller's residence on Crest Avenue on March 28. Fuller is currently at large and a warrant has been issued for his arrest in connection with three Boothbay Harbor burglaries.

Hasch said police believe they have solved more than two dozen burglaries in three counties with this find.

“I believe this solves the vast majority of burglaries in Boothbay Harbor in recent years, both residential and commercial,” Hasch said.

Hasch said he and Officer Jared Mitkus were having lunch when he received a call from Cindy Fuller, Ronald Fuller’s sister-in-law. “You had better come up here,” she told Hasch.

Ronald Fuller lived next door to his brother, Leonard and his wife, Cindy Fuller. After yesterday’s search by police, the Fullers discovered that Ronald Fuller had been storing items police believe were stolen from area businesses and homes in a basement room.

Hasch said the police do not believe that Leonard and Cindy Fuller had any knowledge of the stolen goods.

“They are very good people,” Hasch said, “They have done everything they could to cooperate with police. They are devastated by this.”

Police transported about 40 boxes of alleged stolen items to Boothbay Harbor Town Office, where officers from Boothbay Harbor, Sagahadoc and Lincoln County Sheriffs Office began the painstaking work of sorting and comparing tens of thousands of items to inventoried lists from individual burglaries. Boxes were filled with coin collections, old currency, old comic book collections, plastic bags filled with knives and lighters, clocks, watches, guitars and toys. There were duffle bags filled with sterling silver and there was jewelry almost everywhere. Fine and costume jewelry were mixed together in quart and gallon-sized plastic bags and plastic boxes.

As they sorted through, each find that corresponded to an unsolved burglary brought a cry of recognition and elation from the assembled officers. As individual burglaries were identified, police also began the satisfying task of notifying burglary victims of the recovery. Police will be sorting through the night.

History of crime

Police and Boothbay Register archives show that Ronald Fuller, the suspect in the burglaries, has had a long history of criminal activity.

In 1968, Fuller was convicted of assault and battery; he was convicted of breaking and entering with intent to commit larceny in 1973. In 1975, he was convicted of burglary, in 1978, of misdemeanor theft, and in 1986 of felony robbery.

In 1998, Fuller was sentenced to 14 years in prison on two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prior to his sentencing, Fuller confessed to Boothbay Harbor Police Lieutenant David Benner that he had committed several burglaries and thefts in the Boothbay Harbor area between 1992 and 1995.

Fuller admitted to stealing about $67,000 worth of jewelry from Abacus Gallery in Boothbay Harbor and $35,500 worth of jewelry and antiques from a Sprucewold residence. He also admitted to burglaries and thefts at the former freezer building at the Fish Pier, the former Strand Theater, the former Boothbay Fruit Co. and the Art Gallery. Benner reported that Fuller also returned over $100,000 worth of stolen items burglarized in other states.

According to the Boothbay Harbor Police Department, Fuller was released from federal prison in 2009.

Sue Mello can be reached at 207-844-4629 or sumello@boothbayregister.com.