By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater man whose apartment allegedly had a large amount of property suspected by police as stolen — including $2,500 worth of laptops, a $359 electric scooter, 18 identification cards or bank cards, and a checkbook — as well as 10 grams of methamphetamine has been jailed on $20,000 bail pending his arraignment today.
If convicted of possessing the drug with intent to distribute, along with having a Stillwater woman’s stolen insurance verification card and a Stillwater man’s stolen checkbook, Tazer Alyn Leroy Gray, 29, could be incarcerated for as long as eight years and fined $102,000, according to the three-count charge filed last week.
Gray, who was allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine, was arrested at his apartment at 11:50 am on May 4 by Stillwater police executing a search warrant issued by Payne County District Judge Phillip Corley, court records show.
“Once the residence was deemed secure, a detailed search ensued for stolen property. The residence was filled wall to wall with copious amounts of property, which were believed to be stolen; however, due to the lack of serial numbers or identifying marks, we were unable to determine they were actually stolen,” Stillwater Police Officer Brett Moore wrote in an affidavit.
“In the living room, an insurance verification for (a woman’s) vehicle, which was reported stolen and has not been recovered, was found along with numerous state-issued identification cards and banking cards that have not yet been associated to a specific case number,” the affidavit alleged.
A man’s checkbook, which was in his vehicle when it was stolen on March 30, was found in Gray’s apartment, the affidavit alleged. The stolen vehicle had been recovered on April 2, the affidavit alleged.
“In the northeast bedroom, numerous electronics were located. I was able to determine approximately 12 laptops were stolen from students’ vehicles belonging to Edmond schools. There are nine additional laptops that we are attempting to locate owners for,” Moore alleged in his affidavit.
“A blue Razor electric scooter was also found in this room, which was reported stolen,” from a Stillwater man’s garage while he was asleep, the affidavit alleged.
“Approximately 10 grams of methamphetamine was located in the bathroom where Gray was found upon entry into the residence. During the recorded interview, Gray admitted to occasionally selling methamphetamine to support his drug addiction. Gray further stated he had traded a 9mm pistol to an individual Monday night for methamphetamine.
“Gray advised he suspected the property being stored at his residence was stolen, but he never specifically asked. During this investigation, it was discovered an on-going criminal enterprise was being facilitated by James Kyle Bonesteel,” and a woman, the affidavit alleged.
“Bonesteel lives with Gray and Gray admitted, in a recorded interview, to allowing Bonesteel to store property at the residence,” the affidavit alleged. “Gray further stated he had been with Bonesteel and (a woman) while they were engaged in auto burglaries; however, he stated he did not participate,” the affidavit alleged.
“This investigation has revealed a very sophisticated criminal enterprise in which the suspects were using two locations to store stolen property. The suspects were targeting Stillwater and Edmond areas. In a second search warrant at a separate location related to this case, a handwritten ledger was located detailing specific locations in which the individuals had targeted as well as items taken. This is an on-going investigation and additional victims will be located in the coming days,” the affidavit alleged.
According to Payne County court records, Bonesteel, 24, who lists his residence as in Ulysses, Kansas, was charged with car theft in Stillwater on July 29, 2020; when he failed to appear in court here on March 4 of this year, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Bonesteel was living in Glen Rose, Texas, when he was charged in Seminole County, Oklahoma, with possessing a Forth Worth, Texas, woman’s stolen vehicle and endangering others while eluding police in Wewoka, Oklahoma, on Nov. 17, 2019; he pleaded guilty on Jan. 16, 2020, and was placed on seven years’ probation under a deferred sentence, court records show.
Bonesteel was given a concurrent seven years’ probation under a deferred sentence when he pleaded guilty on Jan. 16, 2020, to grand larceny from Walmart in Seminole, possessing the drugs morphine, tramadol, oxycodone, hydrocodone and alprazolam with intent to distribute, and possessing morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone in the Seminole County Jail on Sept. 20, 2019, court records show.
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