ASHLAND – A former employee of Pinkham Lumber Co. has been charged with theft by unauthorized taking after he allegedly stole $4,000 worth of tools from the company.

Chad Ouellette, 28, who is from Van Buren but has been living with his girlfriend in Patten, was arrested Tuesday afternoon and taken to the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton.

He remained in jail Tuesday pending possible release on bail. The amount of bail had not been set.

According to Aroostook County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Monpetite, Ouellette quit his job at the lumber company Nov. 2, apparently upset over reports of possible layoffs.

Monpetite said Ouellette later got his girlfriend’s brother-in-law, whom the deputy declined to identify, to take him back to the mill so Ouellette could clean out his locker, including the tools.

The deputy said the man, a Patten resident, drove Ouellette back to Ashland. But “he had no idea the tools belonged to the company,” Monpetite said, according to what the man told police.

The tools, including grinders, clamps and wrenches, then were taken back to the man’s house for storage, Monpetite said.

On Tuesday, the man gave police and a representative of Pinkham Lumber permission to check the house.

Monpetite said most of the missing tools were recovered.

The man in whose house the tools were found has not been charged with any crime since at this point there is nothing to indicate that he knowingly helped Ouellette steal the tools, Monpetite said.

The tools were discovered missing by other employees Nov. 7, Monpetite said. The company conducted its own security check and notified the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department last Friday.

Trooper Greg Burns of the Maine State Police is assisting in the investigation.