(Stillwater, Okla.) — An ex-convict from Cushing — who had been released from prison about two years ago — was given a five-year prison term Friday for stealing more than $5,000 worth of equipment from a Keystone Gas Corporation site at Deep Rock Road and Norfolk Road in rural Cushing.
James Arron Parten Jr., 45, pleaded guilty Friday to the theft of a Chevrolet tailgate, a two-foot trash can, a five-inch round duct tubing, six partial sheets of plate steel, 30 feet of brass rod, five small fisher regulators, one five-horsepower electric mower and one 15-horsepower electric mower, all from the Drumright-based company.
On July 23, the day that the equipment was stolen, it was taken to Northrup Metals at 322 W. Grandstaff Road, north of Cushing, according to an affidavit by Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Nick Myers.
When the theft was reported five days later, a worker at Northrup Metals told the deputy that “all the items taken in had already been sent out for processing and would not be able to be recovered,” the affidavit said.
In court Friday, as part of a plea bargain, Payne County District Judge Phillip Corley ordered that Parten be given substance abuse treatment in prison.
At the time of his latest theft, Parten was on 10 years’ probation for entering with intent to steal copper and embezzlement, both in Cushing in 2010, court records show.
The judge ruled Friday that Parten had violated his probation in both cases, for which he was given two five-year prison terms to run concurrently to the five-year prison term he was given for the Keystone Gas Corporation theft.
After the theft from Keystone Gas Corporation was reported, Cushing Police Chief Tully Folden, Deputy Chief Chuck Claxton and the deputy reviewed surveillance video from four cameras that survey the property, the affidavit said.
About an hour later, the Cushing police chief located the suspect vehicle parked in front of Parten’s residence, the affidavit said.
“I confronted Mr. Parten about the theft and advised him he was on video taking the items from the Keystone Gas Corporation site,” the deputy wrote in his affidavit.
“Mr. Parten advised he did go to the site and take the items. Mr. Parten advised he had driven by the site and noticed the gate open.
“Mr. Parten advised he entered the site and loaded the items and then took them to the scrap metal business at Depot Street and Grandstaff Road north of Cushing,” the affidavit said.
Four years ago, Parten was given a five-year prison term for stealing copper from the VFW Lodge in Cushing and embezzling money from a Cushing woman while he was doing business as Progressive Roofing. He served less than two years in prison, state Department of Corrections records show.
On his release from prison, Parten was supposed to begin paying more than $23,000 in restitution and serve 10 years of probation, court records show.
At the time, Parten was already on probation for embezzlement in Creek County in 2009, false declaration of ownership to a pawnbroker in McIntosh County in 2006, and passing bogus checks in Payne County in 2009, court records show.***
