ST. LOUIS — A man from southwest Missouri is charged with stealing used cooking oil from John D. McGurk's Irish Pub and Garden in Soulard.

Last month, McGurk's staff told police about thefts of grease totaling more than $2,100. The first of three thefts was on April 14, the last on May 7, court records said.

Ronald Dean Braden, 39, was charged Tuesday with two counts of felony stealing and one count of misdemeanor stealing. Bond was set at $10,000 cash.

St. Louis police Detective Leo Rice said in court papers that a witness contacted officers and shared video evidence. The witness is a former police investigator who used informants to identify Braden as the thief, Rice said.

Police in Republic, Missouri, pulled over Braden in a traffic stop May 14, and police compared his features to t

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