By: Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — A bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of a former Cushing man who failed to appear in court last week for his probation violation sentencing in the 2017 theft of a forklift donated to Faith Church in Cushing.
Ron Christopher Robinson, 50, had listed his address as the Drumright Inn when he was released on a personal recognizance bond on Jan. 2 pending his March 26 sentencing on the probation violation before Payne County Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler, court records show.
In October of 2017, Robinson was originally placed on five years’ probation except for serving 80 days in the Payne County Jail for larceny of construction equipment.
Robinson was ordered to pay $2,500 restitution, a $500 fine, $50 to the victims’ compensation fund, $960 as a prosecution fee and the cost of his incarceration. Robinson admitted to the judge in January that he had violated his probation, court records show.
On April 29, 2017, Robinson had spoken to Cushing police about the forklift that had been parked around the rear of the Faith Church building.
“Robinson said that he observed a forklift on the right side of the dumpster while driving around town looking for items to scrap,” during the week of Cushing Trash Dash, an affidavit said.
“Robinson clarified that this is when the refuse service picks up all items needing to be disposed of, as long as they are at the curb line for pick up.
“Robinson told me that he believed the forklift to be non-functional and someone had left it near the dumpster to be picked up,” Cushing Police Officer Jonathan Hall wrote in an affidavit.
“Robinson said that he had this forklift hauled to his residence,” and sold it to a Ripley businessman for $100, the affidavit said.
“Robinson said that he scraps for a living and did not think the owners wanted the forklift,” the affidavit said.
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