On January 7, 2011, TSCRA Special Ranger Max Hartmann, District 26, Texas Hill Country, was informed by Alton Immel, Fredericksburg, of the theft of lambs from his feedlot in Gil- lespie County. Hartmann spent the next 10 months investigating this case, which exceeded several hun- dred thousand dollars worth of stolen livestock.
Six men were convicted. One, re- ported in the February issue, page 23, is serving a 9-year sentence in the state penitentiary. The remaining 5 are listed in this comprehensive Case Closed report.
Defendant: Emilio Lopez Rodriguez Date of Birth: April 17, 1952 Defendant: Cipriano Rodriguez Lopez Date of Birth: July 11, 1969 Defendant: Angel Gonzalez Cortez Date of Birth: Dec. 8, 1981 Defendant: Gabriel Rodriguez Lopez Date of Birth: Oct. 2, 1954 Defendant: Francisco Lopez Rodriguez Date of Birth: July 4, 1967 Offense: Organized criminal activity Degree of Offense: First degree felony Date of Offense: June 4, 2010 Victim: Alton Immel Location of Offense: Gillespie County Trial Date: July 19, 2012 Trial Court: 216th District Court Plea: Guilty Sentence: 10 years, deferred adjudi- cation for each man Restitution: $579,500 Community Service: 500 hours Court Costs: $275
TSCRA Special Rangers: Max Hart- mann, with Texas Rangers Wayne Matthews and Jess Ramos
Defendant: Wesley James Williams Date of Birth: Jan. 3, 1962 Offense: Criminal mischief
Degree of Offense: State jail felony Date of Offense: Sept. 2 to 8, 2010 Victim: Robert Michalewicz Location of Offense: Reagan County Trial Date: Dec. 5, 2012 Trial Court: 112th District Court Plea: Guilty Sentence: 5 years deferred adjudica- tion, community supervision Restitution: $7,186.55 Fine: $1,000
Community Service: 120 hours, $60 fee
Court Costs: $269
TSCRA Special Rangers: James Bond, with Reagan County Deputy Chad Armstrong
Defendant: Joseph Tanner Harper Date of Birth: July 25, 1993 Offense: Larceny of automobile Degree of Offense: Criminal felony Date of Offense: Sept. 5, 2011 Victim: Shady Creek Ranch Location of Offense: Wagoner County, Oklahoma Trial Date: Nov. 29, 2012 Trial Court: Wagoner District Court Plea: Guilty Sentence: 5 years, deferred sentence Restitution: Fine: $500
Community Service: 80 hours, plus 1 year of faith-based inpatient treat- ment
Court Costs: $2,436 TSCRA Special Rangers: John Cum- mings and Bart Perrier, with Rae Lee Spears and Faye Banks, Muskogee Sheriff’s Offi ce, Dustin Dorr, Wagoner County Sheriff’s Offi ce, and Kent Dow- ell, special agent, Oklahoma Depart- ment of Agriculture
Defendant: Joseph Tanner Harper Date of Birth: July 25, 1993 Offense: Unauthorized use of imple- ment of husbandry Date of Offense: Sept. 7, 2011 Victim: Mike Spradlin
Location of Offense: Muskogee Coun- ty, Oklahoma Trial Date: Nov. 30, 2012 Trial Court: Muskogee County District Court Plea: Guilty Sentence: 5 years, deferred sentence Restitution: Fine: $300
Community Service: Court Costs: $2,428 TSCRA Special Rangers: John Cum- mings and Bart Perrier, with Rae Lee Spears and Faye Banks, Muskogee Sheriff’s Offi ce, Dustin Dorr, Wagoner County Sheriff’s Offi ce, and Kent Dow- ell, special agent, Oklahoma Depart- ment of Agriculture.
Special Ranger Tips
Keep an eye on the locks on seldom-used ranch gates, says Special Ranger Hal Dumas. A would-be thief might swap out your lock for his or her own. It’s a good idea, every now and then, to change the locks on all your gates and start over with new locks.