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Utah man accused of stealing millions in construction equipment appears in court
#Utah #man #accused #stealing #thousands and thousands #development #gear #seems #courtroom
Estimated learn time: 2-3 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY – An Idaho man who was bilked out of $10,000 in a Utah development scheme spoke out Thursday as the person who’s accused of taking the cash appeared in courtroom.
Derek Johanson is accused of stealing skid steers after which promoting them to harmless consumers. He is been arrested and convicted a number of occasions for development thefts.
The KSL Investigators just lately revealed that a number of households acquired scammed.
Whereas Derek Clark Johanson now faces a number of felony prices for promoting stolen development gear to unwitting Utahns, his alleged victims argue he is been given too many probabilities by the judicial system.
“I feel he’ll simply get proper again out,” stated Steve Waechtler.
Like numerous different alleged victims, Waechtler wanted earth-moving gear for his work. “I run a small enterprise in Idaho,” he stated.
He known as a couple of skid steer he discovered on-line again in 2020. He stated Derek Johanson was promoting it.
“He wanted to free some cash as a result of his spouse was within the hospital, she had an sickness,” Waechtler stated.
Waechtler and his spouse stated they believed Johanson and determined to satisfy him in individual.
“We pulled up, he is within the skid steer. He is working that factor like knowledgeable,” Waechtler stated.
Earlier than they sealed the deal they talked to him for 2 hours. Then they ran the serial quantity and requested for identification.
“It got here again clear,” Waechtler stated. “Did a notarized invoice of sale in entrance of the notary within the financial institution. She checked out his ID, it was a paper ID.” Waechtler stated he additionally known as within the license plates, which confirmed they weren’t stolen.
Waechtler felt like he checked each field so he drove off together with his $10,000 buy.
“My buddy calls me again and says, ‘I feel that skid steer is stolen.’ And I stated, ‘Boy, that is the sickest joke.'”
Waechtler stated his buddy, who’s a police officer, seen one thing.
“He says, ‘I simply acquired this caseload throughout my messages on my desk’; and he says, ‘That appears just like the skid steer that you just known as in. It is the identical mannequin, it is the identical make however the serial quantity isn’t right.'”
Waechtler stated just a few digits on the serial quantity have been off, however it turned out to be the identical stolen skid steer. “Someplace alongside the road, a serial quantity was recorded wrongly.”
Waechtler stated he is tried to warn others in regards to the scheme so they do not fall sufferer to what he stated are Johanson’s tips.
“(They) stated that he would pay folks again, stated he was going to reform. What a bunch of rubbish,” Waechtler added.
Johanson has a preliminary listening to scheduled for March 6.
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Shelby Lofton
