Toy gun gets men into trouble

A toy gun has led to a lot of trouble for five men from Texas. The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department says a van was stopped south of Independence after a report that someone was sticking a rifle out of the van window. Officers stopped the van and found it was a toy rifle. The men said they were a cleaning crew from Dallas, Texas that was working in the Idependence WalMart store. Officers searched the van and found some jewelry and other items that were identified as stolen from the Independence WalMart. A search of the men’s two hotel rooms turned up more allegedly stolen merchandise. Four men are being held in the Buchanan County jail on fifth degree theft charges. A fifth member of the crew, who is 16, has been turned over to juvenile authorities.