More charges have been filed against three men accused of stealing all-terrain vehicles and burglarizing homes in Scioto County.

During the group's final meeting of 2005, the Scioto County grand jury returned five additional charges against Alan Wesley Anderson, 24, of Portsmouth, Michael Adam Swords, 24, of Lucasville, and Christopher M. Anderson, 21, of Portsmouth. They are accused of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, known as “RICO” violations.

All three were indicted on two counts of burglary, two counts of theft from the elderly and one count of conspiracy to commit burglary.

“These are additional counts, additional crimes to what they were indicted for a few weeks ago,” said Scioto County Prosecutor Mark Kuhn. The men were indicted on the new charges on Dec. 30 and the indictment was filed with the court on Wednesday morning.

In mid-December, Swords and Christopher M. Anderson were each charged with 7 counts including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy to engage in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy to burglary, burglary, theft from the elderly, safecracking and receiving stolen property (motor vehicle.)

Alan Wesley Anderson was charged with 13 counts including engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy to engage in a pattern of corrupt activity, conspiracy to burglary, burglary, theft from the elderly, safecracking, theft of a motor vehicle, theft and five counts of receiving stolen property (motor vehicle.)

Because the men are charged with being part of an organized crime ring of three or more people, they could face a heavier penalty during trial.

Kuhn said the allegations against the three stem from a rash of ATV thefts and home break-ins in October that were investigated by Scioto County Sheriff's Detective Denver Triggs and with the cooperation of several local law enforcement agencies including the FBI, the state patrol and sheriff's offices in Ohio and Kentucky.

Triggs said that at one point the sheriff's office was getting two or three reports a night about stolen ATVs.

All three defendants are still being held in the Scioto County Jail and they were arraigned in the Common Pleas Court of Judge Howard H. Harcha on Wednesday.

The investigation continues and Kuhn he said expects more charges and that additional people will be arrested.

Anyone with information about this case can call Triggs at (740) 355-8245.

MARK SHAFFER can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 235.