A Galena 19-year-old and two youth from the community have been charged after an investigation into the burglary and theft of money and merchandise took place there on February 1st.

After initiating an investigation at the Galena Liquor Store subsequent to the report to them at 5:12 am, troopers would find that approximately $60,000 in cash and another $2,000 in alcohol, tobacco, food and drinks had been taken from the store earlier that morning at approximately 4:30 am. The young burglars also did approximately $400 worth of damage to the store during their break-in and theft.

When troopers began their investigation, it would be discovered that the young trio had dropped $25,000 of their inll-gotten-gains outside the store as they made good their getaway. Troopers would quickly track down the perpetrators and identify them as 19-year-old Kyle Nickoli and two juveniles aged 15 and 16. Troopers did not identify the two younger teens.

Troopers would soon retrieve the remaining $35,000 stolen from the store as well as the merchandise taken. The money and merchandise was returned to the owner of the store.

Nickoli was arrested and charged with Theft I, Burglary II, Criminal Mischief IV, VCOR, and Contributing to a Minor x2. Nickoli was transported to the Fairbanks Correctional Center where he was remanded on the charges with no bail set. Nickoli was out on bail for a prior Assault IV case in October.

The two underage males were released to their parents and charges of Theft I, Burglary II, and Criminal Mischief IV were leveled against them.

  burglary, galena, liquor store, rural, troopers