RANDOM LAKE, WI (WHBL) - A former employee and upstairs neighbor to a Random Lake tavern that was robbed this week was charged Tuesday.
31 year old Russell Miller faces a burglary charge for allegedly stealing money from gaming machines inside the Booz’ In Tavern early Monday morning.
According to the criminal complaint, surveillance video caught the crime as it happened. It shows a person walking around the tavern to various gaming machines and taking money from them. It also revealed the suspect also grabbed a lighter before leaving.
Based on the footage and the way the suspect knew his way around the tavern, the tavern owner suspected Miller as the thief. The owner said Miller was fired the previous week for being unreliable in coming to work.
When investigators met with Miller, he reportedly confessed to the crime. He said he took around 170 dollars from the machines and used it to purchase gas, food, and help maintain a daily heroin addiction he has had for about a year.
Miller now faces over 12 years in prison and a fine up to 25-thousand dollars if found guilty.