By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
A Bethany man has pleaded guilty in connection with a break-in at a Yukon self-storage business.
Stuart Dwayne Carr, 38, received a five-year deferred sentence – except for the first 45 days to serve in the Canadian County Jail – on charges of second-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit a felony pursuant to a plea agreement with prosecutors.
The defendant was given credit for time served in both counts, to run concurrently with a 2010 drunk driving case.
Carr and Oklahoma City’s Ashley Lea Faulkner, 37, were charged June 30 with conspiring to break into a storage unit at Spare Box Storage, 2409 N Sara Road.
Canadian County Assistant District Attorney Justin Kemp alleged the pair used a bolt cutter to cut off the locks and enter the unit intending to steal and without the owner’s permission.
Carr had expressed to Faulkner that he wanted to steal a minibike from another unit after they were evicted from their unit, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Carr appeared by video from the Canadian County Jail at an Aug. 5 hearing before Special Judge Khristan K. Strubhar. His public defender, Karla Tankut, appeared in the courtroom.
Judge Strubhar ordered Carr to be supervised by the District Attorney’s Office and comply with the rules and conditions of probation.
This includes paying $68.91 in restitution, obtaining a drug and alcohol assessment and following treatment recommendations. He has been released from jail.
Carr had faced up to 17 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The court case is still pending against alleged storage theft co-conspirator Faulkner.
A preliminary hearing is set 9 a.m. Sept. 30 before Canadian County Special Judge Charles Gass. Faulkner’s attorney is Brenda Doroteo.
K-9 LEADS OFFICERS TO UNIT
An Oklahoma City Police investigation identified Faulkner and Carr as suspects who allegedly burglarized a Yukon woman’s storage unit.
They were caught when an Oklahoma City police K9 led officers to a storage unit with no lock on it.
A Yukon officer kicked the unit’s door a couple of times then was able to open it, according to a police report.
Faulker reportedly was inside of the unit just behind the door and Stuart was further into the unit and was laying on his stomach.
They were arrested and taken to the Canadian County Jail, where they were booked early June 24 for burglary and malicious injury/destruction of property.
Between June 11-25, officers responded four times to the N Sara Road storage complex to investigate break-ins.
Police shared advice to Yukon-area residents to be cautious and attentive about the items they store in rental facilities:
- Leave items of extreme value and irreplaceable items (such as family heirlooms) out of the unit.
- Make sure to have serial numbers on any items that possess serial numbers.
- Check the storage unit frequently and make a police report as soon as possible if a crime occurs.
- Check out the storage facility before renting a unit, to sure they have properly functioning security cameras there.
