Former Fort Drum soldier faces more charges in connection to September manhunt

The former Fort Drum soldier who took police on a three-day manhunt through several counties in September was arraigned in Watertown Town Court Thursday on additional charges in connection with several burglaries at local storage facilities.

State police charged Russell C. Marcum, 20, with three counts of third-degree burglary, two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property involving firearms, two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and one count of false written statement.

State police said that Mr. Marcum broke into U-Lock-It Storage on Route 342, ABC Storage on Route 283 and allegedly committed other crimes at unidentified locations during a crime spree in September.

On Thursday, Mr. Marcum, of Morgantown, W.Va, was also arraigned on a second-degree burglary charge in connection with a break-in at Preferred Power Sports, Route 11, that the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department had investigated.

In Jefferson County, state police recovered many items, including television sets and firearms, that allegedly were stolen from Fort Drum soldiers and others who placed them in storage lockers, state police Senior Investigator Michael C. Pastuf said.

Police solved more of the break-ins “after tracking down soldiers overseas, in Afghanistan, Iraq and all over the world,” Mr. Pastuf said. He noted that, as the investigation continues, more charges could be lodged against Mr. Marcum.

The case was held for possible grand jury action in Jefferson County. Town Justice Andrew N. Capone set bail at $15,000 in the Jefferson County cases.

Mr. Marcum was returned to Herkimer County jail, where he is being detained on burglary charges in that county. In addition, he faces numerous other charges in as many as six counties, Mr. Pastuf said. Mr. Marcum is scheduled to be in an Oswego County courtroom Friday to answer to charges.

On Sept. 16, Mr. Marcum escaped from military custody at his Fort Drum barracks when he took off in his parents’ Chevrolet Avalanche after being charged with third-degree burglary in connection with the theft of a $700 plasma-screen television set.

On Sept. 19, he was caught in Tompkins County after a three-day manhunt .