Risley charged in alleged theft of referee attire, equipment

A Sallisaw man is facing a felony charge of grand larceny after allegedly taking bags of referee attire and equipment from a vehicle belonging to another individual, while they were hospitalized.

Jerold L. Risley, 31, was charged Jan. 5 in Sequoyah County District Court and received a $3,500 bond. He is now set for a March 1 felony disposition docket before Associate District Judge Kyle Waters.

Sallisaw Police officer Jarrett Cannon reported just before 1 a.m. on Dec. 14 he met with the reporting party at the Sallisaw Police Department regarding items allegedly stolen from the reporting party’s truck.

The reporting party said in his statement that Risley, Angel Lane-Mitchell and Tammy Martin had dropped him off at the hospital in his vehicle the night before. The reporting party said Risley and the two others then drove his vehicle to Fort Smith, Ark. while he was still in the hospital.

The reporting party said he left his personal belongings in the trunk and told the three he didn’t want them using his vehicle any longer, but they continued to do so, according to the probable cause affidavit in the case.

Cannon and other officers went to the location where the vehicle was believed to be but didn’t find it or the individuals believed to be in possession of it.

Police found a phone number for Risley and contacted him, asking if he had the reporting party’s vehicle. Risley reportedly told authorities his girlfriend (Nance-Mitchell) was in possession of the vehicle and police then contacted her.

Nance-Mitchell said she would bring the vehicle to the police department in 30 minutes but arrived an hour and a half later, according to the affidavit. She claimed she’d purchased the vehicle and tires for it, and was working a deal out with the reporting party, but did not have any documentation.

The reporting party checked the trunk of the vehicle and said three bags were missing. The bags reportedly contained a chest protector, shin guards, two Wilson umpire masks, two referee shirts, four pair of referee pants, two rolling bags, two jackets, three pair of basketball shoes, two whistles, a silver coin, and a pair of New Balance baseball shoes.

District Attorney Jack Thorp said if found guilty, the crime is punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term of not more than two years, in the county jail not to exceed one year or by a fine not to exceed $1,000, or by both fine and imprisonment, and restitution.