Emily Kalka Editor ATulsa man was charged with embezzlement over an incidentinvolvingaU-Haul trailer.
Darrel E. Montgomery, 42, was charged by District Attorney Adam Panter on March 23 with one felony count of embezzlement for “fraudulently appropriating the sum of $4,500 that belonged to U-Haul and had been entrusted to the said defendant by U-Haul,” court documents said.
Accordingtotheprobable cause affidavit, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Patrick Bell was on routine patrol of westbound I-44 at mile marker 159, near Wellson. He reported that he observed a Winnebago RV with New York license plates towing a U-Haul trailer with Idaho plates. The RV had an unsecured access door on the driver’s side, which was a potential traffic hazard, so Bell initiated a traffic stop.
Bell reported in the affidavit that he advised Montgomery of the reason for the stop. Montgomery then stated that he had extended the rental of the trailer, but wasn’t sure if it needed to be returned immediately, and asked Bell about it. Bell said he was unsure, but asked the driver to bring his documents back to his patrol unit, the affidavit said.
While the two conversed as Bell conducted routine safetychecks,Montgomery allegedly showed Bell the text correspondence from U-Haul, stating that the extension payment was declined and the trailer needed to be returned immediately. Montgomery said he planned to return the trailer after he delivered a motorcycle to storage.
Bell asked the man for proof of insurance on the RV. Montgomery stated it was in his phone in a black bag inside the RV and gave Bell permission to retrieve it, the report said. When Bell returned with the bag, Montgomery reportedly permitted him to search the bag for the phone. Bell found it and handed over the phone. He then ran the tags on the U-Haul trailer, which returned as stolen. He placed Montgomery under custodial arrest.
Avehicle inventory of the RVfoundaplasticcontainer with 17 cellphones, one WiFi hotspot device, 300 blank CR80 PVC cards, four laptops and another cellphone. Bell returned to the patrol unit and gave Montgomery his Miranda rights. When asked why he had so many cellphones, Montgomery reportedly said, “Because I want them.”
He then asked for a credit card from his bag, giving Bell permission to search it again. Bell located 32 bank cards in Montgomery’s name, two bank cards without names and two Vanilla gift cards. There were three more cellphones in the bag, the report said.
Bell suspected possible identity theft and/or bank fraud, seizing the items. Montgomery was then charged with possession of a stolen vehicle (valued at $4,500) and failure to comply with compulsory insurance law. The RV, UHaul trailer and motorcycle were impounded by Garrett’s Towing in Oklahoma City, and Montgomery was transported to the Lincoln County Jail.