Man charged with felony grand theft after allegedly stealing trailer and spray painting it
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BLACKFOOT — A 25-year-old Pocatello man has been charged with a felony after allegedly stealing a trailer and spray painting it to try and hide its appearance.
The court case was filed in September, but a preliminary hearing is set for Austin Lee Rogers in October.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, a complaint was initiated against Rogers late last year for possession of stolen property.
On Nov. 24, 2021, a deputy found a trailer at Rose Ponds in Blackfoot. The deputy left a card at the trailer so the owner could contact the deputy. Rogers called the deputy in December. He said the trailer was his, and he was living in it.
Later, deputies received a tip saying Rogers was in possession of a possibly stolen trailer.
In December, a deputy went to the location where the trailer had been last seen. The trailer was gone; however, a lot of the property from it was left behind. The trailer was later found on the south end of the ponds.
“Looking over the trailer more, we could see the white paint was thrown on quickly, and the middle portion on one side has since been spray-painted black. The black paint was dripping down the sides,” the deputy wrote in the report.
Deputies tried locating a VIN number on the outside of the trailer but were unable to find it.
Deputies located several papers outside of the trailer in a box. Deputies traced the papers back to the owner of the trailer, which was not Rogers. The value of the trailer is $2,500.
Rogers was charged with felony grand theft by receiving, retaining, and concealing stolen property. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 20 at 8:30 a.m. at the Bingham County courthouse.