By THATCHER MOATS STAFF WRITER

BARRE – Police arrested two people Wednesday for allegedly stealing dynamite from a Bethel quarry last year and say the suspects are part of a long-running burglary ring responsible for roughly 100 burglaries at homes and businesses.

They expect to arrest two more people for the dynamite theft. Those two recently fled to Mexico but are being extradited back, police said Thursday.

The four people accused of stealing dynamite and other property from Rock of Ages' Bethel quarry are core members of a burglary ring that police have been unraveling over the last few months and will continue to investigate, they said.

The burglaries have been plaguing Randolph, Bethel and the surrounding area for the last two years, police said, and numerous larcenies are also tied to the group.

The investigation into the dynamite theft, conducted by the Vermont State Police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also led investigators to a suspected drug dealer police have had in their sights for years, a state police detective said.

The suspected dealer, Randolph resident Douglas Finkle, was arrested on Oct. 28 and is facing federal drug charges.

An ATF agent began investigating Finkle because investigators believed he had a connection to the dynamite theft, and authorities later arrested him for allegedly dealing cocaine, according to court papers.

Police believe members of the burglary ring traded such stolen property as guns, electronics and tools to Finkle in exchange for cash and drugs. Finkle is still being investigated for his connection to the dynamite theft, police said.

Thomas Gauthier, 21, of Northfield, and Jason Hicks, 18, of Braintree were arrested Wednesday for the Rock of Ages burglary. They are accused of being among the four people who entered the quarry in August 2008 through a locked gate, broke into several locked buildings, and stole dynamite, detonation cord, brass fittings, aluminum poles and power equipment.

Gauthier and Hicks were cited for burglary and the possession and use of explosives, and they are scheduled to face the charges in Vermont District Court in White River Junction in January.

The two other suspects are Mikel Brady, 20, of Hancock, and Joshua Hill, 19, of Bethel.

Brady and Hill, who were arrested in September for a home invasion in Royalton, fled to Mexico after they were released on bail, police said. The U.S. Marshalls Service is currently extraditing them back to the U.S., where they will be charged with the dynamite theft and other burglaries, said police.

State police detective Brian Berry said the home invasion Hill and Brady allegedly committed provided a big break in the case.

"The home invasion was really the case that tied everything together," Berry said. "It was really the home invasion where we received the statement that said these guys actually did the dynamite burglary, and during this statement, we received other information that connected them to other burglaries." Hicks also has been cited to appear in Vermont District Court in Chelsea for allegedly burglarizing the Randolph Movie Gallery and the Randolph Center Town Garage, Berry said. Hill and Brady will also be charged with those crimes when they return to the country, police said. About $90,000 worth of tools was stolen from the town garage, Berry said. Brady also will be charged with stealing snowmobiles, a four wheeler and a truck from Lucky's, a business in Bethel, Berry said. Two other people were arrested for those crimes about a month ago, Berry said. The four suspects comprise the core group of the burglary ring, and a total of about seven members have been arrested so far, according to Berry. "There still might be one more arrest, but we feel we have the core group," said Berry. Police say members of the group also stole catalytic converters from motor vehicles. It's unclear why the dynamite was stolen, and it's possible it was a crime of opportunity. "As far as we know there isn't any evidence that they intended to use it or did use it," said Berry, who noted the dynamite was found about a week after it was stolen. The four suspects could still face federal charges for the dynamite theft, Berry said. Berry said the actions of the suspected burglars had a negative affect on the quality of life in the towns where they allegedly committed their crimes. "They became organized enough to the point where they didn't really care whose house they were breaking into or whose business they were breaking into," Berry said. "They were very arrogant in their way and certainly affected the quality of life for many citizens there."