Suspected outboard motor thief pleads not guilty to felony counts
Dominic Austin Prichard, 32, pleaded not guilty to felony counts of theft and criminal mischief before Judge Amy Eddy on June 26. He is expected back in court for a pretrial conference Dec. 3.
Prichard caught the attention of Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies while walking along U.S. 2 with a pull cart about 2:13 a.m., June 1. Authorities were investigating a string of nighttime thefts in the area involving a suspect with a pull cart, according to court documents.
After identifying Prichard, deputies learned he had an outstanding warrant and arrested him, court documents said. Placed inside the deputy's cruiser, Prichard allegedly consented to let them search the pull cart, which boasted a black backpack and an object obscured by a Montara boat cover.
Pulling off the cover, the deputies found a black Mercury Pro Kicker motor, court documents said. The wires on the motor appeared cut.
While Prichard, the outboard motor and the pull cart were taken to the Sheriff's Office in Kalispell, other deputies checked a boat dealer on U.S. 2 in Evergreen and found a hole cut in the company's fence, court documents said. Inside they spotted a boat missing a cover and a boat missing a motor.
Using the serial number on the motor, the dealer later confirmed it was stolen from its lot, according to court documents. Authorities put the value of the motor at $3,500 and the damage done to it at $1,650. The boat cover was estimated at $500.
Prichard was convicted on misdemeanor counts of assault and theft in August 2024 in a case where he was accused of threatening store security personnel with a knife while shoplifting. Though he initially pleaded not guilty, he later took a plea deal.
He received a suspended sentence and a $100 fine at his Aug. 28, 2024 sentencing.
News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.
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