By Conrad Dudderar
Associate Editor
EL RENO – A Canadian County judge has issued a bench warrant for a man accused of robbing a Yukon business.
Midwest City’s Matthew Ryan Bartee, 28, faces prison on first-degree robbery and conspiracy charges filed in Canadian County District Court.
Bartee and an alleged accomplice were charged in March 2022 for a conjoint robbery at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse. Yukon Police investigated the crime.
Bartee was due to appear for a preliminary hearing conference Aug. 22 in Canadian County District Court. But the defendant didn’t show.
So Canadian County Special Judge Charles Gass on Aug. 24 signed a bench warrant after Bartee failed to appear.
Bond was set at $40,000 on each felony count.
Bartee had received the court date at his July 10th initial arraignment, according to a court order signed by Judge Gass.
First-degree robbery is punishable by not less than 10 years in prison.
Conspiracy is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a maximum $5,000 fine.
Oklahoma City’s Nathaniel Hunter Zorn, 24, pleaded no contest April 11 to first-degree robbery and conspiracy for his role in the Yukon business robbery.
Judge Gass sentenced Zorn to serve six years in state prison followed by four years suspended.
Zorn was convicted of conspiring with Bartee to steal $1,990 worth of merchandise from the Yukon Lowe’s store.
The two men took five, 250-foot rolls of electrical wiring as one of them threatened to shoot an employee “thereby putting her in fear of immediate serious bodily injury,” according to charging documents.
Zorn was already housed at the Lawton Correctional Facility after pleading guilty in June 2022 in separate Oklahoma County robbery, burglary and weapons cases.
LEFT STORE WITH CART
The conjoint robbery occurred Dec. 22, 2021, at the Yukon Lowe’s store.
Yukon Police learned Bartee had gone to the electrical aisle and placed the rolls of electrical wire in a cart that he left at the end of the aisle, according to an arrest warrant affidavit signed by Yukon Police Det. Dave Carroll.
Zorn then left the store with the cart and didn’t attempt to pay for the merchandise.
While Zorn was walking out, a Lowe’s employee approached and asked to see a receipt.
He then threatened to shoot the employee and left the store.
The victim told investigators she had asked Zorn for a receipt, but he told her to her to “move away” or he would shoot her.
She identified Zorn as the individual who made the threat.
During their investigation, Yukon Police learned Bartee and Zorn had stolen from other Lowe’s stores in Oklahoma City.
Both men were charged in January 2022 and then pleaded guilty in June for committing a conjoint robbery in Oklahoma County.
While Zorn was sent to prison, Bartee received a 15-year suspended sentence and was ordered to be supervised by the state DOC.
Bartee has previous felony convictions for possession of controlled dangerous substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a stolen vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm, altering license plate/registration, and possession of stolen property.
