The pre-preliminary hearings for two of several defendants charged in an alleged chop shop operation have been scheduled for this month.
Kenneth Gale Simon, 37, was charged May 26, 2022 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 pre-preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sep. 22 but was moved to Nov. 10. He and Whitney Kristine Harrison, 34, both of Prague, were arrested following a brief pursuit on July 28.
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.
His pre-preliminary hearing on those three charges is set for Jan. 19 and on the additional count he is to reappear the same day.
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.
Her pre-preliminary hearing is now set for Jan. 19 on all three charges.
Simon appeared before Associate District Judge Sheila Kirk onAug. 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 KGAuto 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 onApril18.Shesethisbond at $10,000.
Vancuren has since been charged with two other felonies.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Lincoln CountyDeputyCodyColeman and several other Lincoln County deputies and investigators, including StevenHinkle,GeorgeKelly 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, ColemanmetwithHarrison who advised him that Simon lived at the residence .
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.