Ron Lockhart, a candidate for Sequoyah County sheriff, alleged last week that the sheriff's office was illegally using a trailer, seized during an investigation, at the rodeo in Vian. He said the trailer was taken to the rodeo to transport a four-wheel vehicle that carried campaign signs for Sheriff Johnny Philpot.
Lockhart argues that there is a difference between seized property taken from a criminal investigation and forfeited property, which is a civil action to gain possession of property believed used in criminal activity. Lockhart said Thursday he may take his allegations to the office of Attorney General Drew Edmondson.
"But I probably won't do that until the election is over," Lockhart said.
The Democrat candidates will face off in the July 29 primary election.
Philpot and Chris Keathley, Sequoyah County Emergency Management director, have both strongly denied the allegation.
Philpot said the trailer was used to haul the four-wheel vehicle to the rodeo so that his deputies could patrol the rodeo's parking area.
"The trailer and the Gator (the four-wheel vehicle) were never in the parade," Philpot said Thursday. "As soon as I saw there were campaign signs on the Gator I told them to take it home. I didn't even know it was the seized trailer."
Keathley said he was just trying to do a favor for the county by fixing the trailer, and he emphatically denied all of Lockhart's allegations.
"I saw the trailer sitting at the District 3 Barn (on Maple Street in Sallisaw) and saw that the body was broken," Keathley said. "I was looking at this trailer and knew it had a crack in one of the struts. I told the sheriff that my dad could weld the trailer and replace the lights because I knew there was an auction coming up.
"The trailer was at my house for only about three weeks, and we did not take it to Texas," Keathley said.
Lockhart said he had been told that the trailer was used by the Keathleys to haul cars to Texas.
Keathley countered, "We did attend a car swap meet in Texas on April 28, but that was before I had the (seized) trailer, and why would we use a trailer with a broken body?"
Keathley pointed out that he and his father replaced the lights and two tires on the trailer as a donation to the county.
"This trailer was seized over three years ago, and it has no serial number. When no one claims them (seized property) they are forfeited," Keathley said. "(District Attorney) Jerry Moore told me Monday morning that I didn't do anything wrong."
Moore said Friday morning that he and his staff are researching the allegations, but he added that no official charges have been leveled at Philpot or Keathley.
"We are trying to determine what is going on," Moore said.
Moore said he talked with Keathley Monday when Keathley told him about the trailer.
Lockhart said he has talked with Moore and does not want to put Moore in a bad position because he must work closely with the sheriff. That's why, Lockhart said, he reported his allegation to an assistant attorney at the attorney general's office.
