Flatt back home to face charges

An Indianapolis man will likely be in court sometime next week to face several felony charges.

Robert Jay Flatt, 41, is charged with Class B felony burglary, Class C felony burglary and two counts of Class D felony theft in connection with a series of incidents that began nearly a year ago, court documents said.

Flatt was recently sent to the Putnam County Jail after spending time in the Hendricks County Jail on theft charges.

A spokesperson for Putnam County Circuit Court said Flatt will be in court soon for an initial hearing.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Flatt was allegedly involved in the theft of one Harley Davidson motorcycle on Oct. 28, 2007 and the theft of two Harley Davison motorcycles on Nov. 14, 2007. Both thefts occurred at private residences. Jewelry was also reported missing after the Nov. 14 incident.

On March 3, Indiana State Police Detective Michael Biggs received a phone call from Indiana State Police Trooper Charles Boller informing him that Flatt had telephoned his brother James and threatened to shoot James.

"In an attempt to learn the triggering mechanism for the threat, Boller learned that Jay Flatt had resided with brother James Flatt for a short time from September 2007 until Thanksgiving 2007," court documents said. "Shortly before Jay was ordered to move out and while he was still on good terms with James, he told James that he and friends had recently stolen two Harleys from a residence in Putnam County."

Court documents said Flatt used his brother's truck to commit the alleged crimes. Officers took photographs of James Flatt's truck and showed them to an eyewitness, who identified the truck as the one used in the Nov. 14, 2007 burglary.

One of the stolen motorcycles was recovered in Indianapolis on Dec. 10, 2007. The other two were stripped and sold for parts, court documents said.

Flatt has an extensive criminal history that includes arrests for child endangerment, operating while intoxicated, possession of marijuana, battery, burglary and theft.

If convicted on all charges connected with the motorcycle thefts, he could face up to 34 years in prison.

Flatt was convicted of Class D felony theft in Hendricks County on Sept. 29. He was sentenced to a year and five months. The Indiana Department of Corrections Web site lists his earliest possible release date on those charges as Jan. 25, 2009.