Joseph Fransted, 53, was taken into custody on Monday afternoon following a reported motor vehicle theft at the Walmart located on 4040 Newton Street in Jasper. Around 3:30 p.m., JPD received information regarding a stolen 2013 black Chevrolet Silverado heading north on Newton Street. Shortly afterward, the stolen vehicle was located in the Walmart parking lot and confirmed to be the reported stolen vehicle. Joseph Fransted was identified as the person in possession of the stolen truck. K9 Mack was deployed and conducted an open-air sniff, alerting officers to the presence of narcotics. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered drug paraphernalia inside. The stolen truck was towed and returned to its rightful owner. Joseph Fransted was then transported to the Dubois County Security Center, where he was lodged. He now faces charges of theft – motor vehicle, and possession of paraphernalia.
