Stockpiles of stolen goods found in SK hovel

A South Kitsap man who allegedly toppled stolen equipment into the road before trying to run away from a traffic stop in Belfair earlier this week was dragged out of one jail and into another on Thursday after authorities discovered he had apparently been looting local construction sites for weeks and lining his own dilapidated home with the riches.

Paul Scott Bickle, 28, was in Kitsap County Superior Court for a preliminary appearance after being pulled out of Mason County Jail, where he had been booked for possession of stolen property after he was stopped on State Route 3 in Belfair while allegedly driving a stolen dump truck and hauling stolen construction equipment.

Bickle, who was already awaiting trial in Kitsap County on a May burglary charge, was rearrested after deputies searched his home on the 4200 block of Ramsey Road SE in South Kitsap Wednesday and discovered nearly $20,000 worth of stolen stainless-steel appliances, flooring and other espensive items — nearly all of which had been reported missing recently from nearby construction sites.

Although the residence’s roof was nearly caving in, deputies discovered numerous top-dollar fixtures inside, including oak cabinets, wood flooring and a bathroom decked-out with a designer toilet, fancy fixtures and a jacuzzi-type bathtub.

On other parts of the two-acre property surrounding the home, deputies discovered more than $30,000 worth of stolen tires, truck parts, construction equipment and siding material, along with numerous signs, traffic cones and other safety warning equipment stolen from Pierce County’s Public Works Department.

Investigators identified at least 10 victims, both individual and businesses, that have been affected by the alleged thefts, several of which were on scene Wednesday, identifying and recovering their property.

At Bickle’s court appearance Thursday, Judge Theodore Spearman set his bail at a $100,000 cash-only bond, citing concerns over the defendant’s ability to post a $35,000 bond for his release from Kitsap County Jail last month.

Formal charging was set for Monday, June 28.

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