Buried stolen property recovered

Investigators with the Curry County Sheriff’s Department have recovered buried stolen property in the 1200 block of Curry Road G.

Curry County Sheriff Wesley Waller wrote in a report Oct. 26 his investigators got a tip on the possible location of a stolen welder taken from Parmer County, Tx. earlier that day.

The landowner agreed to a search of the property.

The search did not yield the stolen welder but deputies did see a Case loader partially buried on the property.

Waller reports the loader had the name of a local construction company printed on it.

That company had reported the loader as stolen to the Clovis Police Department in July, 2022.

At the time of theft, the loader was valued at $45,000.

With the assistance of the Curry County Road Department, the loader was unearthed.

The serial number was located and it was confirmed to be stolen.

Waller reports in the following week, several other items that were found on the property were identified and confirmed to be stolen.

The items included a trailer valued at $2,300, a welder valued at $3000, and a skid-steer loader valued at $44,000.

Waller reports these items were returned to their owners.

The owner of the property, Lyle James Case, 37, was initially arrested for parole violations Oct. 28.

Nov. 4, Case, who is incarcerated at the Curry County Detention Center, was charged with two second degree felony counts of receiving stolen property and two fourth degree felony counts of receiving stolen property.