March 29, 2024

Donald Schaffer

Donald Schaffer

POMEROY, Ohio – Three people are in custody following a reported break-in at a Pageville store.

According to Meigs County Sheriff Keith Wood, on December 30, 2018 his office received a call from the Baleneggs Convenience Store in Pageville who stated that the business had been broken into and reported several items were taken.  Deputy Rick Smith and Sgt. Frank Stewart responded to Baleneggs and processed the scene. After obtaining evidence and speaking with the owners of the store, deputies had developed two suspects in the breaking and entering. 

​Deputies then received information about the whereabouts of one of the possible suspects and went to a residence on Township Road 1010. Deputies were granted entry into the garage of a residence by the homeowner where they found Donald Lee Shaffer, 37, of Athens, Ohio attempting to hide inside of a cabinet. Deputies took Shaffer into custody for the Breaking and Entering while he was in the process of providing false identifying information to the deputies. Shaffer also had a felony warrant out of Franklin County, Ohio. According to Sheriff Wood, deputies then located some of the stolen property from Baleneggs inside of the garage with Shaffer. Also arrested at the residence was Linda G. Gilmore, 47, of Albany for Obstructing Official Business. 

Matthew Older

​The Middleport Police Department was requested to assist in transporting one of the subjects to the Middleport Jail so that Deputies could go check another residence for the second suspect. Deputies then went to a residence on Pageville Road where they found Matthew Older, 30, of Albany hiding inside of a camper. Older was taken into custody after a short standoff with deputies where Older refused to exit the camper that he was living in. Matthew Older also has outstanding felony warrants out of Meigs and Athens County.

​“We are pleased to announce the arrest of these three individuals,” stated Sheriff Wood. “My office has had an increased presence in Scipio Township over the past several weeks in an attempt to take Mr. Shaffer and Mr. Older into custody. The crimes committed by these individuals will not be tolerated as we have shown with the arrests made today.”

All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.