(Stillwater) — A Cushing man and his cousin, both of whom have been arrested for drug possession in the past, have been arraigned on charges of breaking into the cousin’s next-door neighbor’s residence where three guns and a camera were stolen.
Dustin Jay Watkins, 28, who is currently on probation for possessing methamphetamine and a substance with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine in 2005, also is facing a count of possessing firearms after a felony conviction in connection with the May 27 Cushing burglary.
Dustin Watkins remains in the Payne County Jail pending a July 6 court appearance when he can ask for a preliminary hearing on his charges.
His cousin, Johnathan Michael Watkins, 28, who was placed on probation for drug possession in 2001, also is facing counts of making a false pawn declaration of ownership of two rifles that were allegedly stolen in the May 27 burglary, as well as possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Johnathan Watkins was scheduled to appear in court Monday when he could ask for a preliminary hearing. He remains in the Payne County Jail, court records show.
The Cushing men were arrested on the day of the burglary by Cushing Police Officer Adam Harp, court records show.
The victim had reported that when he and his wife came home that morning, they noticed that someone broke into their residence and stole a black powder rifle, a camouflage Charles Day shotgun and a Remington 30-06 rifle, along with a Kodak digital camera, the affidavit said.
The victim said that he spoke to his next-door neighbor, Johnathan Watkins, and told him about the guns being stolen from his residence, the affidavit said.
The victim said that “Jonathan made the comment that it was probably his cousin, Dustin Watkins,” the affidavit alleged.
The victim’s wife said when they came home, she noticed hats on the bed and that the guns were missing from the gun rack, the affidavit said.
She said that she noticed that the the bedroom window was open slightly and that the screen was bent out, the affidavit said. She said that a digital camera was also missing, the affidavit said.
When Cushing police went to a house where Dustin Watkins was staying, “Dustin appeared to be very nervous while talking with me,” Harp wrote in his affidavit.
He initially denied knowing anything about the burglary, but later said that the stolen digital camera and one of the stolen guns were inside the residence, the affidavit alleged.
“Dustin said that he went over to Johnathan’s house to call the pharmacy to get a prescription filled. Dustin said that as he was leaving the residence that Johnathan told him that he wanted to pawn three rifles at the pawnshop,” the affidavit alleged.
“Dustin said that he drove Johnathan along with his smaller children to Mo Money Pawn where he pawned two of the rifles,” which he said he did not know had been stolen, the affidavit alleged.
Dustin Watkins eventually said that his cousin told him that the cousin’s next-door neighbor owed him money “and that they broke into the house through a bedroom window and took three rifles and a digital camera,” the affidavit alleged.
“Dustin said that Johnathan crawled through the window and handed him the stolen property and that he climbed in the bedroom and climbed out,” the affidavit alleged.
“Dustin said that Johnathan pawned two of the rifles and he kept one that he was going to return,” to the victim, the affidavit alleged.
Mo Money Pawn shop owner Ron Snow told police that Johnathan Watkins had been in the store that morning shortly before 10 a.m. and pawned a Remington 30-06 rifle and a Charles Daly 12-gauge camouflage shotgun, the affidavit alleged.
“Snow said that Johnathan said that he owned both of the rifles for about one year,” which were identified by the victim as belonging to him, the affidavit alleged.
After initially denying his involvement, Johnathan Watkins “finally admitted that he pawned two of the guns at Mo Money Pawn for Dustin,” the affidavit alleged.
“Johnathan said that Dustin pulled into the Mo Money Pawn and asked him to pawn two of the guns for him because he did not have a driver’s license. I asked Johnathan if he told the employee at the pawn shop that he owned the two guns for one year and he said yes,” Harp alleged in his affidavit.
Johnathan Watkins denied having any knowledge of the burglary, the affidavit said.
Cushing Police Officer Carson Watts found a silver smoking pipe containing marijuana residue in Johnathan Watkins’ right front pocket and a gold pinch hitter in his left front pocket, the affidavit alleged. Both are listed as drug paraphernalia in court documents.
Officer Harp wrote in his affidavit that he was unable to lift any identifiable fingerprints from the victim’s bedroom window, but that he noticed dried mud shoeprints on the mattress.
Dustin Watkins could be given as much as a 17-year prison term if convicted of his two-count charge, court records show.
Johnathan Watkins could be given as much as 23 years of incarceration and $11,500 in fines if convicted of his four-count charge, court records show.
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