Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson stepped into the SVI Radio studio on Tuesday, December 9 for his monthly report. Sheriff Johnson discussed the sentencing that has taken place for two suspects involved in recent ATM burglaries in Thayne. Sheriff Johnson also touched on a Christmas Tamale sale from staff and inmates at the Detention Center that is being used as a fundraiser for a local charity.

(0:00) Live in studio today for his monthly report is Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson sheriff kind of wet and soggy out there (0:07) You a little messy. Yeah. Yeah, the most wonderful time of the year, right? Yeah, right (0:11) Yeah (0:11) Appreciate your time as always and and some updates from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (0:16) Go back to a case that you’ve been following for quite a while and and you’ve given us some updates of the past most (0:21) recently clear back in May and (0:24) The arrests that were made in regards to the ATM burglaries that took place maybe (0:29) Remind us on this case and what all what all occurred here (0:32) so we we had a couple ATM burglaries that happened in the last year and a half or and so (0:40) One was happened in Alpine in November (0:44) 2024 and then we had another one in Thane in February February 2nd of 2025 and (0:50) We made some arrests on the Thane ATM burglar we think they’re related but (0:56) We’re still working the Alpine one.

We we think they’re related in the sense that same (1:02) Maybe not the same suspects, but the same groups (1:06) So we made some arrests in the Thane (1:11) ATM burglary quite some time ago and and two out of the three of those (1:15) Suspects have now been sentenced through District Court County Attorney’s Office (1:18) Has got a (1:21) Had agreement and we got some guilty pleas out of them. And and so Billy Ray Chavez got sentenced to five to eight (1:29) years in Wyoming Department of Corrections, so he’s going to prison and (1:34) also (1:35) DeMarcus Thomas same thing five to eight years in in the state prison for their role in those (1:40) Thane burglaries and and they’re both from Texas right from Texas (1:45) They’re gonna have a nice stay in Wyoming for a while (1:47) They’re gonna be they’re gonna be Wyoming residents for the next five to eight years (1:50) so I I had hoped as this moved along and and there’s still a possibility that that the FBI would get involved because (1:58) we believe that there there’s (2:02) ATM burglaries that that these same individuals done in different states (2:06) and of course that would you know move it over to a good federal case with the being across state lines and and (2:12) The the fact that it’s also with banks that are federally insured sometimes the FBI gets involved and that still may happen (2:17) But we we moved forward with our case the County Attorney’s Office moved forward and charged them (2:24) Locally, and so it’s it’s good to have that done and and them sentenced and held accountable (2:30) Well, and it sounds like if I remember correctly, there were some other instances just even in surrounding counties (2:36) Let alone other states that had very similar type execution on some other ones. Yeah (2:40) yeah, it was it was a (2:42) weakness in certain (2:44) equipment that was exploited (2:47) by (2:50) People who knew about it and they knew what they were doing (2:53) it was a three-minute once they once they found where they were going was about a three-minute job that (3:00) Burglarize it and be done and gone that always still a vehicle.

So anyway, yeah (3:05) We we’re we’re glad that we’ve got them sentenced and held accountable (3:09) We do have one more suspect in the same burglary that we have a warrant for his arrest (3:13) we had a warrant for him when he was (3:17) Caught up in Montana doing what we believe something similar. So they have him on (3:22) local charges in Montana, but when they’re done with him, then they’ll call us and we’ll go pick him up and (3:30) and then he’ll start his time in the (3:34) Justice system here in (3:36) In Lincoln County hold it so we’ll get him charged up (3:39) Do you know what that what the timeline is on that in Montana? (3:42) Yeah, I don’t his case in Montana is not adjudicated. So he’s still working through that.

He hasn’t been sentenced (3:47) I don’t know if there’s a they’re working on a plea or anything like that, but (3:51) He’s been there for a bit and I don’t expect to see him anytime soon. I guess is the best way to put that sure (3:58) And you mentioned the investigation still ongoing (4:02) Because these these all were were connected to the Thane right specifically, right? (4:07) So the Alpine incident could be same group different individuals and so kind of kind of walk us through yet (4:13) How do you work out that investigation? (4:15) so (4:17) The (4:19) Just to give you a little bit of background (4:21) Our investigator Jody Gardner’s worked this case did a did a heck of a job on it put a lot of time in use a lot (4:28) of resources, but it was a series of (4:30) Just interviews hard work (4:35) Contacting other law enforcement agencies search warrants a bunch of search warrants rental car search warrants cell phone company search warrants (4:45) local search warrants, so there was a there was a lot of search warrants and (4:49) work that went into that the the (4:52) Along there we haven’t seen we’ve seen a connection to a possible group out of (4:59) Texas that are doing these but these specific individuals have not come across the radar in the Alpine one (5:06) So we’ll we’ll use the same (5:09) Methods Jody will continue to work it (5:12) from that angle, but we it’s (5:15) We have a good (5:17) Roadmap to get there. We just don’t have the same individuals.

So we’ll keep working that (5:21) We can kind of Sheriff Shane Johnson in studio this morning with his monthly report from the sheriff’s office (5:26) Well a little more light-hearted topic. You have some staff in camera selling some Christmas tamales for a good cause we have a (5:33) we have a (5:36) Big kitchen down there. And as you know, we feed (5:41) Depending on our inmate population anywhere from 50 to 70 people three meals a day.

So we have a (5:48) really nice facility and (5:50) We get a lot of (5:53) Do a lot of good meals that come out of there (5:55) So this was something that the inmates wanted to do and and so they’ll do they’ll cook tamales. They sell them (6:02) After all the costs are covered then they’re then they’ll donate a portion now (6:06) They’ve done it in the past as well with a different meal and I’m trying to remember might have been tamales (6:10) It might have been something else might have been street tacos. There’s some good cooks (6:14) I’ll tell you that and they got a good facility there (6:17) We have contract (6:19) Kitchen (6:21) Contract mill provider that come in but they utilize heavily utilize the inmates that we have to help.

So (6:30) And just to give you a little more about that. So well finish that up (6:33) so they’re they’re gonna make the tamales I’ll be sold some of the the half of those proceeds will go to (6:39) To a nonprofit. They’re probably locally in camera and that’ll be a neat thing for them.

It’s it’s an opportunity for (6:48) The the staff and the inmates to be able to help out somebody and and it’s pretty rewarding during this time of year to be (6:54) able to do that (6:56) but the the way that that works in the in the jail is we have (7:01) About 30 inmate workers that do everything from cleaning to cooking laundry (7:07) We have a one that’s a seamstress that repairs a jail (7:12) Outfits that we provide I mean we have (7:15) We have a lot of people working down there. And in fact, we just redid all the shelves in the library in the jail (7:21) We have a pretty extensive library (7:24) the (7:25) the shelving that was in there came over from the old facility down in downtown camera and and (7:31) they were looking pretty rough and worn out and so (7:36) inmates (7:37) Built all new shelving for the library (7:39) so those those are kind of projects going on that allow them to do something and be productive and (7:46) instead of sitting in a cell which (7:50) Is not good for anybody so we look for those opportunities, of course, it’s all based on their behavior as well (7:56) if they they earn that right, but (8:00) It’s been a good thing and this tamale sale is just kind of one of the things that ends up happening (8:06) It’s kind of unique to be able to give back to the community or what you’re serving time in right, right (8:12) Yeah, Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson in studio this morning. I sure if anything we miss you like to touch on today.

No just (8:19) again, appreciate the opportunity and wish everybody a (8:22) Hope to have a good Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas coming up and be safe out there (8:28) Thank you. County Sheriff Shane Johnson this morning in studio. It’s all part of the weekday.

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