Wyoming construction worker arrested after stolen equipment was reportedly found in his pickup
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IDAHO FALLS – A Wyoming man was arrested Thursday in Idaho Falls after allegedly stealing equipment from a construction company.
Ramon Jobany Miranda, 39, was charged with felony grand theft by receiving, possessing or disposing of stolen property.
On Thursday, an Idaho Falls Police officer was assigned to help the Teton County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office with a reported case of theft.
According to court documents, a Teton County Sheriff’s deputy told the officer a construction site in Jackson, Wyoming, was missing a roof seamer, a machine used to seam metal roof panels.
The officer called a manufacturer to understand better what he was looking for; a customer service representative told him they rented the machines out and put tracking devices inside the storage cases.
The tracking device showed the machine was at 3112 South Pioneer Lane in Idaho Falls.
The officer went to the address and found two men standing near two pickup trucks belonging to Platinum Roofing out of Wyoming.
Police reports say the officer began to ask them “random roofing questions,” and both men stated they worked for Platinum Roofing.
One of the men asked the officer why was asking the questions, to which the officer responded he was investigating stolen construction equipment out of Jackson.
The officer asked the man for his identification, and initially, he “did not comply,” according to police reports. The officer says he could “tell (the man) was nervous, and he said I could have his ID but not his, and pointed to the other person.”
The man then told the officer he spoke to a cop from Jackson the night before, and he had come to Idaho Falls this morning before planning to head to Utah for a job.
When asked what kind of job they were doing in Utah, the man said it was a metal roof.
The officer then requested another officer to come out as he stated, “This was potentially going to turn into a lengthy investigation.”
Another male exited a nearby apartment and said he was the supervisor of the two men the officer was speaking with. According to the officer, the man’s ID stated he was from California.
The officer took the supervisor to the side, and the supervisor admitted the company that was missing the machine “owes him $40,000 for work.”
The supervisor was reportedly “adamant” they didn’t have the machine and said police could search his vehicle and apartment.
The officer reportedly told the supervisor if they cooperated and returned the machine, he wouldn’t take anyone to jail. The supervisor again stated they didn’t have it.
The second officer arrived, and the two called TCSO to tell them what happened.
According to the officer in reports, “something wasn’t sitting right,” so they decided to look through the parking lot for cars with Wyoming or California license plates.
An officer found a blue GMC pickup with Wyoming license plates. When they ran the license plate, it returned to a black Lexus.
According to court documents, there was a small amount of fresh snow on the ground around the pickup, showing one set of shoe prints leading from the door of the building to the rear of the pickup and then to the asphalt parking lot.
The officer looked in the rear window of the bed topper and saw a case that matched the description of the missing machine.
At the same time, the two employees came out of the apartment building and were called over by the officers. Police reports state the men “appeared nervous.”
When asked who the pickup belonged to, both men denied owning it. One of the men then identified himself as Miranda.
Officers asked again who owned the pickup and stated that the machine was in the back. Miranda and the other man still denied owning it.
An officer then looked at Miranda’s shoes and the tread pattern in the snow, saying they were an “exact match.”
Miranda denied the shoe prints were his, and officers asked him to open the back of the pickup.
He reportedly opened the topper door and tailgate on the back of the pickup, and an officer opened the case and saw the missing machine inside.
The men’s supervisor then arrived and told officers his attorney was on the phone. An officer asked why the attorney was on the phone, and the man reportedly replied, “Because the police lie.”
Miranda again denied having anything to do with the pickup. The officer then called TCSO, who asked that the officer take him into custody and tow the pickup.
Miranda was then taken into custody, and the two other men were released. During a search of his belongings, a set of GMC car keys were reportedly found in his right pocket.
Miranda was booked into the Bonneville County Jail with a bond of $30,000.
He is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 19. If convicted, he could face up to 14 years in prison.
Though Miranda has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.