A Prague woman charged with harboring a fugitive in an alleged chop shop has made an initial appearance and also has a court date on two other related charges.
Whitney Kristine Harrison, 34, made her initial appearance on the harboring count on Sep. 29. Special Judge Emily Mueller scheduled a pre-preliminary hearing for her on Nov. 17.
The preliminary hearing for one of several defendants charged in an alleged chop shop operation has been continued until November.
She and Kenneth Gale Simon, 37, of Prague, who she is charged with harboring, were arrested following a brief pursuit on July 28.
Simon was charged May 26 in Lincoln County District Court of operating/dealing with a chop shop after former conviction of two or more felonies, conspiracy after former conviction of two or more felonies and knowingly receiving or concealing stolen property after conviction of two more felonies.
His preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sep. 22 but has been moved to Nov. 10.
He faces an additional charge of attempting to elude officers. Harrison, originally charged with conspiracy and knowingly receiving or concealing stolen property, is now facing an additional count of harboring Simon.
Formal felony charges were originally filed May 26 in Lincoln County District Court against Kaleb Burleson, 19, Simon, 37, and Harrison, 34.
On the same day charges were filed, bench warrants of $10,000 each were issued for the arrest of Burleson and Harrison and a $15,000 bench warrant was issued for Simon.
Court records show the warrant for Burleson was returned and filed on June 1 and his initial appearance was scheduled for July 21.
Burleson is set for the disposition docket at 10 a.m. on Oct. 7.
The warrant for Harrison was returned and filed on June 23, court records show. Her $10,000 bond remains and her initial appearance was scheduled for Aug. 18.
Her reappearance on the original charges is set for Oct. 13.
Simon appeared before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk on Aug. 29. She ordered the $15,000 bond remain in effect and Simon made his initial appearance on Aug. 4.
Harrison is accused of harboring Simon when she in fact knew law enforcement officers were looking for Simon for the purpose of executing warrants.
She also appeared before Judge Kirk on July 29, a $5,000 bond was set on the new charge and her initial appearance is scheduled for Sep. 29.
Burleson was charged in Lincoln County District Court with operating/dealing with a chop shop, conspiracy and knowingly receiving or concealing property.
The conspiracy counts against the three accuse them between March 19 and April 8 of this year of conspiring and agreeing with one another and with Mick Vancurren, also of Prague, of conducting a chop shop and disassembling, dismantling, reassembling a motor vehicle known to be illegally obtained by theft in order to misrepresent the identity of the vehicle.
The information further states Vancurren, Simon and Burleson dismantled a Chevrolet truck stolen from KG Auto Sales in Shawnee at the property of Harrison.
Vancuren, 31, was charged in Lincoln County District Court on April 18 with four felonies in relation to the chop shop operation.
They include operating/dealing with a chop shop after former conviction of two or more felonies; conspiracy after former conviction of two or more felonies; pattern of criminal offenses after two or more felonies; and possession of stolen vehicle after former conviction of two or more felonies.
He was also charged with two misdemeanors, destroying evidence and obstructing an officer.
He made his initial appearance before Associate District Judge Shelia Kirk on April 18. She set his bond at $10,000.
Vancuren has since been charged with with two other felonies, one of which is intimidating a witness.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Lincoln County Deputy Cody Coleman and several other Lincoln County deputies and investigators, including Steven Hinkle, George Kelly Coleman, Larry Stover Sr., James Robinson, Mark Kelley attempted to serve a felony arrest warrant through Okfuskee County on Simon at his residence at 352389 E. 1030 Road, in Prague in Lincoln County.
Cody Coleman had been advised of the warrant.
When officers arrived, Coleman met with Harrison who advised him that Simon lived at the residence with her.
Stover reportedly interviewed Harrison, establishing she lived at the property with Simon but that she had just returned from work and she didn’t know where he was.
As the officers continued their investigation, a search warrant from the property and buildings was obtained. They located a number of reported stolen items, among them a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado stolen out of Pottawatomie County, a grey floor jack, sinks, door levers, lamps, a Cross Fire Pellet revolver, snub nose .357 replica and other items.