Stillwater, Okla.) — A Cushing man and a Yale man have been charged together with stealing $130,000 worth of property from Submersible Pump Inc. in Cushing on June 23.
Gary Michael Beam, 41, who was also charged with concealing other stolen property on his rural Cushing property, was freed on $30,000 total bail. He was arraigned and ordered to return to court July 27.
His co-defendant only in the theft from Submersible Pump, Tyler William Couch, 20, was freed on $1,000 bail. He was arraigned last week and ordered to return to court on Aug. 13.
Mike Jones, the owner of Submersible Pump, had reported that property was stolen from the business at 1800 S. Little in Cushing on June 23, Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Myers wrote in an affidavit.
Jones flew over Beam’s residence in the 4100 block of N. Battleridge, and “observed one of the larger items at the back of this property,” the deputy alleged in his affidavit.
Jones contacted Cushing Deputy Police Chief Tully Folden, who relayed the information to the Payne County Sheriff’s Office, the affidavit said.
On the sheriff’s deputy’s request, Folden went to Beam’s property to secure it until Myers arrived, the affidavit said.
When Deputy Myers saw Beam at the front gate of his residence, “I asked Beam if he knew why I was at the location and he advised that Mr. Jones was accusing him of having his property,” which Beam denied, the affidavit said.
“Mr. Beam invited the other officer and me to look on the property. While I talked to Beam, other officers walked the property and found items that resembled the items missing,” the affidavit alleged.
Deputy Paul Fox described the items to Jones, who identified them as his, the affidavit said.
After Beam was arrested and taken to jail on June 24, “Beam admitted to stealing all the items from SPI,” valued at $130,000, the affidavit alleged.
They included a 2005 Spool Built two-axle gooseneck trailer with spool and cable, miscellaneous metal rods, miscellaneous tools and a 2008 Ford F5D flatbed truck, the affidavit said.
The following day, Payne County Sheriff’s Deputies Nick Myers, Tom Edwards and Paul Fox served a search warrant at Beam’s residence and outbuildings, an affidavit said.
A sawed-off shotgun in a gun case was located, Fox alleged in an affidavit. Also located were two other guns, a 30-30 and a K-Mart shotgun, which had been reported stolen from another man in April, the affidavit alleged.
Officers also found trailer axles belonging to All Right Steel in Cushing, approximately 16 new tires, some belonging to All Right Steel, along with new white wagon-style wheels, Fox alleged in his affidavit.
Also found was an oxygen acetelyn torch set belonging to All Right Steel that had been reported stolen on June 25, the affidavit alleged.
During the search, a small baggie containing marijuana was found on an air-conditioning unit, the affidavit alleged. “In the same area, digital and gravity scales, rolling papers, and a rolling machine were located,” the affidavit alleged.
“At the time of this affidavit, the investigation is still ongoing and further charges are anticipated,” Fox wrote in court documents.
When Deputy Nick Myers talked to Couch in front of All Right Steel on June 25, “Couch explained to me that he knew I wanted to talk to him about being at Gary Beam’s house,” Myers wrote in his affidavit.
“After a short conversation, Couch advised he did help Beam with the theft,” of equipment from Submersible Pump Inc., the affidavit alleged.
If convicted of stealing the property from Submersible Pump, the pair could be given a five-year prison term and a $5,000 fine.
Beam could be incarcerated for an additional nine years if convicted of knowingly concealing stolen property, along with possessing a sawed-off shotgun, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, along with $3,500 in fines, court records show.
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