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Vehicle theft, drug charges net prison term
McCOOK, Neb. -- A Culbertson man who stole a pickup from an Indianola couple, and was arrested on burglary charges after the vehicle was tracked down at a nearby school building, was sentenced to jail time last week in Red Willow County District Court.
The offender, 38-year-old Luke Warburton, was ordered to serve between 20 months and 5 years in state prison on a Class 4 felony offense for theft by unlawful taking. He was also ordered to serve 180 days in jail on a Class 1 misdemeanor offense for attempted possession of methamphetamine.
Warburton was given credit at sentencing for 83 days in jail already served.
Warburton accepted a plea agreement in May of 2015 reducing the drug charge from a Class ID felony alleging possession of methamphetamine to the attempted possession version, while dismissing a Class 3 felony burglary offense and an infraction alleging possession of drug paraphernalia.
The charges stemmed from the theft of a 1998 Chevy pickup and subsequent break-in at the former Republic River Valley School building between McCook and Indianola. The stolen vehicle, owned by Darren and Tyler Esch, was recovered in the parking lot of the building and investigating officers arrested Warburton during a search of the building. Warburton was in possession of a used syringe, which field tested positive for methamphetamine, prompting the felony charge for possession of a controlled substance.
Other activity in Red Willow County District Court, Jan. 4, 2016:
* A plea agreement was reached with a McCook woman arrested at the Heritage Hills Golf Course on a protection order violation in 2014. The woman, 42-year-old Jodi M. Traill of 910 East E Street Apt. A, also accepted a second plea agreement in an unrelated felony theft case stemming from jewelry she stole from a West 14th Street residence.
Traill was subsequently scheduled for sentencing in both criminal cases at 1 p.m. on March 7, 2016.
She is facing a Class I misdemeanor for attempted possession of methamphetamine and a second Class I misdemeanor for theft by unlawful taking
One plea agreement reduced a drug charge from a Class 4 felony alleging possession of methamphetamine to a misdemeanor for attempted possession, while dismissing a Class I misdemeanor alleging she violated a protection order and an infraction alleging she possessed drug paraphernalia. The second plea agreement reduced a Class 4 felony theft charge which alleged the property taken was valued between $500 and $1500, to a Class I misdemeanor stating the items were valued between $200 and $500.
Traill was arrested at the McCook golf course in November of 2014 following reports from her ex-husband, Greg Traill, she was in violation of a protection order and harassing him at his place of employment. During booking arresting officers found a syringe and two metal spoons which field tested positive for methamphetamine in her purse, leading to the drug charges.
The theft charge stems from jewelry and a spoon stolen from the West 14th Street residence of Harold and Jean Yohe in January of 2014, according to the complaint.
Traill was already on probation at the time of the Yohe theft, stemming from a 2013 conviction in Red Willow County for stealing a purse.