Bradley W. Bloch (Winnebago Co. Jail)
FOX CROSSING, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Fond du Lac County man was arrested, accused of stealing and reselling six historic cast iron cross gravestone markers from a Fox Crossing cemetery.
The investigation into 58-year-old Bradley W. Bloch from Lamartine began on May 12 when the St. Patrick’s Cemetery groundskeeper reported multiple grave markers, each estimated to be approximately 150 years old, had been stolen.
Shortly after being assigned to the case, Detective Jeremiah Gustafson discovered one of the stolen crosses listed for sale on Facebook Marketplace in the town of Lamartine.
A visit to the residence led to the recovery of one cross displayed in the front yard.
Although the primary resident was not home, investigators determined the stolen marker was most likely acquired by the resident’s father, identified as Bloch.
Detective Gustafson found that Bloch’s vehicle was seen in close proximity to St. Patrick’s Cemetery on Green Bay Road on May 9, 2025, which is within the timeframe the most recent theft occurred.
Despite being presented with this information, Bloch denied ever being in the Neenah area, claiming instead that he was in Ripon and that his vehicle remained in his garage. Further investigation using cellular location data confirmed that Bloch’s phone was in the immediate vicinity of the cemetery at the same time as his vehicle.
Over the course of the investigation, Detective Gustafson uncovered that six crosses had been stolen in total. Each measured approximately 4 feet tall, three feet wide, and weighed close to 100 pounds. In June 2025, one cross appeared on eBay and was traced to a buyer in DeKalb, Illinois, who confirmed purchasing it from Bloch. Other online sales were tracked to buyers in Kewaunee and Waupun.
In Kewaunee, Det. Gustafson recovered three stolen crosses from one residence. In Waupun, the sixth and final cross was recovered from another buyer, who claimed Bloch told them the marker was “set to be replaced.”
The investigation revealed that Bloch used Facebook to arrange multiple sales, instructing buyers to pick up the items from an address in Oakfield.
Replacement estimates for each marker ranged from $10,000 to $15,000, with some estimates noting that the cost could be even higher due to the historic nature of the items.
Bloch faces one count of felony theft of removable property.
His initial appearance is set for Oct. 6.
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