Stillwater man admits passing forged checks in Perkins

  STILLWATER — A 24-year-old Stillwater man, who pleaded guilty last month to passing four forged checks totaling $1,974.42 to Williams Food in Perkins on July 15, 2024, and entering Stillwater Screen Printing property with intent to steal copper on Oct. 22, 2024, has reported to the Payne County Jail to serve 90 days in custody before going on probation in both cases, court records show.

   In a plea bargain approved by District Judge Jason Reese, Payton Grant Kelly must pay $1,677.30 restitution in the copper case while on four years and nine months of probation. Kelly must have a substance abuse evaluation, take any recommended follow-up treatment and undergo random drug tests while on 21 months of concurrent probation in the forged check case.

   Perkins Police Officer Jared Noles had been sent on Aug. 1, 2024, to Williams grocery store where a customer service employee showed him images of four checks cashed by Kelly, an affidavit said.

   “The individual on the security video was a white male who later appeared to match previous booking photos. The checks appeared to belong to Hydro Foam Technology Inc. located at 4321 E. 122nd Street in Perkins,” but the only correct information was the business name and address, the affidavit said.

   “The account numbers, business phone and the BancFirst location were not correct,” the affidavit said.

   At the time, Kelly was already on five years of probation for possessing stolen property in Payne County in 2022, court records show.

   While Kelly was free on bond in his Perkins forged check case, he was charged with entering with intent to steal copper wire and cable from Stillwater Screen Printing on Oct. 22, 2024.

   In that case, an employee said that between 2 am and 2:30 am, “someone went to the pallet full of scrap copper and brass and stole the majority of what was on the pallet,” according to an affidavit by Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy David Rose.

   The employee told the deputy that “he had printed some photos because he had a camera set up that watched the scrap metal pallet,” and provided surveillance video, the affidavit said.

   The employee said, “he spoke with some people he knew in the scrap business, and they believed the male subject who took the items was Payton Kelly,” the affidavit said.

   “I watched the security videos and identified a male subject I know as Payton Kelly go to the scrap metal pallet on Stillwater Screenprinting’s property and take multiple pieces of copper piping and wiring as well as brass scrap pieces which he put into his red Dodge single cab pickup,” the deputy wrote in his affidavit.