SHERBURNE – Police suspect foul play in the fate of a missing man after deputies found evidence of a gun fight at a Sherburne residence Monday.

The Chenango and Otsego County Sheriff’s Offices have been working together in order to locate Joshua D. Richheimer, 32, Pittsfield, who was last seen Tuesday evening, July 24.

Monday morning, investigators from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that led them to the 476 Pleasant Valley Road, Sherburne, residence of Robert R. Reynolds, 46. Once there, investigators discovered evidence “that a shoot out occurred” at the residence, said Sheriff Thomas Loughren.

Sheriff’s deputies took Reynolds and his neighbor, Nicholas S. Simonds, 21, into custody and charged them with tampering with physical evidence, a felony.

Police have not disclosed the relationship between the defendants and the missing man, and further details about the alleged shootout were not available by press time this morning.

Richheimer is identified as being 5 foot 11 inches, 165 pounds, has black hair and a black goatee, brown eyes, and tattoos cover his forearms, elbows and neck.

Police said the last known whereabouts of Richheimer was in the Town of Butternuts, last Tuesday evening near Copes Corners Road. He is described as having been wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket, a dark long-sleeved T-shirt, camouflage pants and black work boots.

Deputies received approval for a search warrant out of Chenango County Court and have begun an extensive search of the two properties. A New York State Police identification team along with the deputies from both Sheriff’s Offices are working together at the scene.

Although Richheimer is not a local resident, any crime committed inside Chenango County’s jurisdiction will leave the responsibility of investigation and prosecution in the hands of the local courts and police agencies, said District Attorney Joseph McBride.

Both Reynolds and Simonds were remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Richheimer and his wife were scheduled to appear as witnesses in a federal case to testify in favor of the prosecution. In that case, Corbin Douglas Sr., 21, Morris, faces a life sentence on a federal felony charge of distribution of morphine and hydromorphone resulting in the death of his young son in 2005. Police have said that they do not believe that case is related to Richheimer’s disappearance.

Anyone with information on Richheimer’s whereabouts is asked to call the Otsego sheriff’s department at 547-4363 or the department’s tip line at 547-1690. All calls are confidential.