2 men accused of causing more than $100K-worth of damage at southern Ill. mine site

RANDOLPH COUNTY, Ill. (KFVS) - Two men are accused of causing more than $100,000-worth of damage at a southern Illinois mine site.

Marcus Buss, 27, was arrested on Sunday, May 7 on a warrant for criminal damage to property.

Nicholas Vogt was arrested on May 12 on a warrant for criminal damage to property.

They are both being held on $100,000 bonds at the Randolph County Jail.

According to the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, the two Lenzburg, Ill. men were arrested in connection with an investigation at the Prairie State Energy’s Jordan Grove Mine Site, located near Randolph County Line Road south of Marissa, Ill.

They say the investigation began in March 2022 when representatives of the Jordan Grove Mine reported a large amount of damage at the site, including a locomotive owned by Kaskaskia Regional Port District, along with copper wiring cut and removed from the property.

Deputies say the locomotive appeared to have the electric motors removed, in addition to copper wiring.

They say the damage to the locomotive along was more than $100,000.

According to the sheriff’s office, this was the second Kaskaskia Regional Port District locomotive to be damaged in 13 months.

In February 2021, the sheriff’s office was called to investigate a large theft that led to extensive damage to a locomotive at the Kellog Docks facility in rural Modoc, Ill.

Investigators monitored the sale of several unique items to salvage yards in the surrounding area matching items stolen from the Kellog Docks. They say the investigation eventually stalled, but the evidence became useful during the second investigation at Jordan Grove Mine.

With that evidence and the use of DNA analysis, investigators were able to positively identify and get arrest warrants for Buss and Vogt for the damage to the Jordan Grove Mine.

Buss is also being charged with criminal damage to property for his alleged involvement in the Kellog Dock case.

Anyone with information on this case or any related cases, is urged to contact the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office at 618-826-5484.

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