By Patti Weaver
STILLWATER — The owner of Mike’s Cash and Pawn in Cushing has been ordered to appear in court Thursday on a felony charge accusing him of refusing to exhibit six boxes of stolen ammunition to Payne County Sheriff’s Investigator Brandon Myers.
Michael Emery Krout, 61, of Stillwater, could be given as much as a two-year prison term and $1,000 fine if convicted of failure by pawnbroker to exhibit stolen property on demand of a peace officer, court records show.
According to the sheriff’s investigator’s affidavit, on Oct. 22, 2025, a man reported that his rural Cushing residence had been burglarized of items including a Ford truck, a Can-Am SXS, a Glock pistol, a Taurus pistol, various ammunition and other personal items.
Two days later, the investigator told the Cushing pawnbroker about the burglary “and provided him with a list of stolen items including firearms and ammunition. I requested that he contact me if any such items were brought into the pawn shop,” his affidavit alleged.
“On Oct. 31, 2025, Deputy Patricia Benavidez visited Mike’s Cash and Pawn and requested a printout of all transactions for the past 30 days. The printout showed no transactions involving any of the four suspects.
“I learned through the investigation that on Oct. 22, 2025, (three suspects) visited four locations to sell stolen items. The first location was Mike’s Cash and Pawn where (one) sold ammunition to Mike for $80. The suspects then proceeded to sell items,” to three other businesses in Stillwater, the investigator alleged in his affidavit.
The investigator alleged in his affidavit that on Nov. 17, 2025, “I returned to Mike’s Cash and Pawn to conduct a follow-up investigation regarding the ammunition sold to Mike on Oct. 22, 2025. I was assisted by Sgt. Dalton Ross and Deputy David Rose.
“I informed Mike that (a suspect) had come to the pawn shop on Oct. 22, 2025, and sold ammunition to him. He checked his computer system and reported no record of (the suspect). I further described that (suspect) was accompanied by (two other suspects) in a white Jeep Patriot. He also checked for (them) finding no records. When asked if he had forgotten to record the transaction, he stated he did not remember. He denied knowing (a suspect) but acknowledging knowing (another suspect.)
“I asked Mike if the ammunition in the display case was all he had, and he said it was. When asked if there was any ammunition in the back, he mentioned only some .308 ammunition. I informed him that the sold ammunition included a large quantity of .22 caliber. I stated knowledge that (one suspect) had sold $80 worth of ammunition to him.
“Mike stores items in a storeroom at the south end of the building and inside a bathroom on the west side of the front room. Although permission is not required, I requested permission to inspect the back areas, which he granted. I found nothing in the storeroom. However, in the bathroom, there were gun racks holding multiple guns and shelves with stacks of ammunition.
“On the floor next to the toilet, I observed two 500-round boxes of CCI ‘Quiet-22’ semi-auto 22LR ammunition, four 50-round boxes of CCI ‘Quiet-22’ semi-auto 22LR ammunition, a green Remington bucket of .22 ammunition and a clear aftermarket ammunition holder with a sleeved top. These items matched the description of ammunition stolen in the burglary of (the victim’s) residence. I had previously recovered similar boxes of ammunition stored in the same type of clear sleeved aftermarket containers from the burglary.
“I informed Mike of the discovery of the ammunition in the bathroom and told him that it belonged to the victim. Mike questioned how I could identify the ammunition’s ownership. I explained the unique sleeved clear cases and that few people possess suppressed .22 firearms, matching the victim’s stolen items.
“Mike stated he buys ammunition in large lots and does not record all the different calibers that he purchases. I reiterated knowledge of the $80 transaction with (a suspect). Mike claimed he should have a ticket but confirmed no record existed in the pawn transaction report. Mike denied the bucket of bullets was recent — asserting it had been there for a long time and claimed the sleeved holder did not come with the CCI ammo.
“I confronted Mike about the lack of a pawn ticket and the presence of stolen items, especially after being notified of the burglary just two days after the transaction. Mike admitted a ‘kid’ sold him the items but claimed he did not know who. When asked why no pawn ticket was created, Mike replied, ‘because it’s just ammo, 22.’
“I noted most items in the store had inventory slips attached, but none of the ammunition in the bathroom did. Sgt. Ross retrieved a photograph of (a suspect), which I showed to Mike. He acknowledged he had seen the individual before and that it could have been him but thought it was a younger person.
“When asked why he failed to create a pawn or transaction ticket, he stated he gets ‘laxed’ on such items. I explained the importance of proper recording for investigating property crimes. I seized the ammunition as evidence of stolen property.”
