MOSES LAKE – Grant County sheriff’s deputies, investigating a burglary at the Grant County Fairgrounds on Feb. 4, found the stolen goods after they saw a man using a chainsaw taken during crime.

Deputies answered a call for a break-in at the fairgrounds that morning. The burglary happened sometime late Feb. 3 or early Feb. 4 Sheriff Tom Jones said.

Numerous tools and a Kawasaki Mule ATV were reported stolen. One of the items reported stolen was an orange Stihl chainsaw.

Fair employees pointed out tire tracks from the ATV headed toward the 4000 block of Airway Drive. While checking the area, deputies saw a man using an orange chainsaw in front of 4209 Airway Drive.

Deputies talked to the man, Jones said, and determined the chainsaw was the one stolen from the fairgrounds. They got a search warrant for 4209 Airway Drive and found all of the stolen property from the fairgrounds with the exception of a laptop computer. The items recovered totaled $10,630.

Joshua J. Griffin, 35, was arrested for investigation of first-degree possession of stolen property and was taken to Grant County Jail. ??Additional stolen property from another burglary was identified by detectives from the Moses Lake Police Dept. and a second search warrant was served to recover that property. ?

“I really applaud the deputies who solved this crime,” said Sheriff Tom Jones. “Taxpayer money and revenues from the fair helped buy the things that were stolen, and to have those recovered means those hard-earned dollars won’t be lost.” ?

The investigation continues, Jones said.?