FOX CROSSING (NBC 26) — More than a year after six historic grave markers were stolen from St. Patrick's Cemetery in Fox Crossing, the man responsible has been sentenced, clearing the way for the markers to be restored and returned to the cemetery.
Bradley Bloch was sentenced October 5 to 45 days in jail and ordered to pay more than $5,700 in fines after pleading guilty to stealing six grave markers from the Fox Crossing cemetery.
In a statement to NBC26, Bloch's attorney, Jeremy VanderLoop of Lakeside Legal Services, said Bloch "pled guilty, apologized to both the court and the cemetery and is making full restitution to restore the grave markers." VanderLoop said Bloch is taking accountability for his actions and does not plan to appeal the sentence.
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The case began in 2025 when cemetery officials discovered several historic markers had disappeared from St. Patrick's Cemetery. The missing stones, some dating back more than a century, were among the oldest markers in the cemetery.
As NBC26 previously reported, investigators later found Bloch attempting to sell the markers on Facebook Marketplace after a community member recognized the stones and alerted authorities. Fox Crossing police recovered the markers before they could be sold. Read the initial story: Wisconsin man arrested for stealing century-old cemetery gravestone markers worth thousands.
For Cemetery Coordinator Pete Krautkramer, the sentence marks another step toward restoring an important piece of local history.
"Some of the markers that were taken are the only records of these people lived in our community," Krautkramer said.
Each marker is estimated to be worth between $10,000 and $15,000. But those who care for the cemetery say their true value cannot be measured in dollars.
"We want to give them their identity back, their dignity back," Krautkramer said.
The stolen markers memorialize individuals who helped shape the area's early history, and for some families they serve as one of the few remaining tangible connections to ancestors buried at the cemetery.
"People have an identity. That's true even after you pass away," Krautkramer said. "This might be 150 years ago, but these people should be remembered."
Following their recovery, the historic markers were held in the Fox Crossing Police Department evidence room while the criminal case moved through the court system.
Now that the case has concluded, Officer Daniel Wiechman said the department can begin the process of returning the markers.
"Now that the case has been closed, these crosses can be returned to their resting place," Wiechman said.
Before they can be reinstalled, the gravestones will undergo restoration work to repair damage and ensure they can withstand the elements for years to come.
Cemetery officials estimate the markers will return to St. Patrick's Cemetery next spring, ending a chapter that left empty spaces in the cemetery and bringing long-overdue recognition back to residents who were laid to rest there more than a century ago.
