THOMPSON — A Lake Mills man has been accused of first-degree theft. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department says they received a report on January 27th of a truck belonging to Advanced Concrete and containing $20,000 worth of tools being stolen from a rural location east of Thompson. The truck was later found in an area west of Thompson with the tools missing.

The Sheriff’s Department says their investigation led to the search of 31-year-old Andrew Aukes’ home on Sunday, with deputies alleging that shoes Aukes was wearing matched prints at the scene where the truck was found. The deputies also say there were items identified as being among those taken from the truck.

Aukes was charged with first-degree theft and operating a vehicle without the owner’s consent. Online court records indicate Aukes made an appearance in Winnebago County court yesterday, with no date available for his next appearance in court.