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Alaska State Troopers are continuing to investigate the December burglary of a mining business that resulted in the theft of numerous items, including guns, a car, a snowmachine, ivory tusks and other possessions.
Seven people have been arrested and charged in connection with the burglary at Northwest Mining, and the case is still under investigation.
So far, seven Fairbanks and North Pole residents have been arrested related to the theft. Those charged include:
• Dametrey Jaymes Rice, 29, was indicted Jan. 4 on charges of felony first-degree burglary, felony first-degree theft, felony first-degree vehicle theft, three counts of felony third-degree weapons misconduct, and three counts of felony second-degree theft. He was arrested Dec. 27.
• Charles William Hills, 43, was indicted Jan. 4 on a charge of felony second-degree theft. He was arrested Dec. 27.
• Shelby Nesbitt, 29, was indicted Jan. 3. on a charge of felony tampering with physical evidence. She was arrested Jan. 2.
• Darrion Fox Erickson, 23, was indicted on Jan. 4 on charges of two counts of felony second-degree theft, two counts of felony third-degree weapons misconduct, and felony tampering with physical evidence. He was arrested Dec. 30.
• Michael James Payuk Kious, 44, was arrested Jan. 7 on charges of felony first-degree theft, felony second-degree burglary, and misdemeanor first-degree criminal trespass.
• Cristy Melvin, 48, was arrested Jan. 9 on charges of felony first-degree burglary, felony first-degree theft, two counts of second-degree theft, and three counts of third-degree weapons misconduct.
• Bradley Paul Moody, 34, was arrested Jan. 9 and charged with felony coercion and three counts of felony second-degree theft.
According to criminal complaints filed in the Fourth Judicial District, Northwest Mining owner Timothy Green reported to troopers on Dec. 20 that his Van Horn Road office, shop and apartment had been burglarized between early to mid-December. He reported that a Ford Excursion, a snowmachine, multiple firearms, three suppressors, a walrus skull and tusks, and multiple generators had been stolen.
A Pine Meadows Drive resident reports to troopers on Dec. 22 that a snowmachine had been wrecked in her yard. At the home, investigating officers find that the wrecked snowmachine matches the snowmachine that was reported stolen from Northwest Mining. Troopers followed the snowmachine tracks from the Pine Meadows Drive home to Gilmore Trail to Winch Road. On Winch Road, troopers come across a Cadillac Escalade with blue LED lights stuck in the snow and blocking the road. Trooper turn around and leave because they can’t get past the stuck Escalade.
Troopers return to Winch Road on Dec. 26 to try to pick up the snowmachine tracks. The same Escalade that was stuck in the snow on Dec. 22 leaves a Winch Road home, and troopers come nose-to-nose on Winch Road with the vehicle.
Troopers back up their car to let the Escalade pass, and the driver stops, gets out and walks up to the troopers in their car. As the driver walks up, troopers recognize him as Dametrey Rice. Troopers don’t engage with Rice and drive away. Rice and the troopers head to the Steese Highway, at which time Rice passes them and troopers see he has a tail light out. They pull Rice over at the East Farmers Loop Road transfer site.
Charles Hills and an unknown woman get out of the Escalade and walk away from it, while Rice stays in the car with another woman — Cristy Melvin.
According to criminal complaints, troopers found a suppressor and a 10mm handgun on the passenger floorboard and a .25 caliber handgun in Melvin’s purse.
In the Escalade, troopers find two magazines loaded with .45 caliber ammunition in Rice’s backpack. Troopers also found a walrus tusk cribbage board, brass bars and several boxes of ammunition.
Troopers return to the Winch Road home from which the Escalade had departed and see the stolen Ford Excursion elevated on a jack with its hood open. “It appeared that parts and lights were being stripped off the vehicle, as the catalytic converters and exhaust components had already been removed,” charging documents state.
Troopers take Hills, Rice, Melvin and another passenger to the trooper post for questioning. Hills tells troopers that Rice came to his house on Dec. 20 and said that he “did a job,” charging documents stated. Rice reportedly tells Hills that he had acquired several firearms, a Ford Excursion, a snowmachine, tusks, mining equipment and some generators.
Hills tells troopers that Rice asks him to move a snowmachine to North Pole. Hills is accused of driving the snowmachine on the trans-Alaska pipeline system trail, on powerline trails and on Gilmore Trail before getting the snowmachine stuck on Pine Meadows Drive, according to the complaint.
Hills also tells troopers that Rice made a deal with Melvin for a 10mm handgun, and that he saw Rice fire the gun from the front door of the Winch Road home on Dec. 26. Troopers later find multiple shell casings near the doorway of the home.
According to the court documents, Melvin texted a local horn and antler buyer on Dec. 19 and said, “Hi I’m Cristy somebody gave me your number said you buy ivory plz call me.” She also sent a photo of a walrus ivory cribbage board.
Michael James Payk Kious allegedly told another individual that a large piece of ivory could be obtained at Northwest Mining.
Surveillance footage at Northwest Mining from Dec. 26 shows two people on the property for less than one minute before leaving on a snowmachine at 6 a.m. One of the people is later identified as Kious. Kious is accused of keeping the walrus skull and tusks in his girlfriend’s camper.
The stolen walrus skull and tusks are anonymously returned to troopers on Dec. 29. A local ivory appraiser who examined the walrus skull and tusks valued their worth at more than $25,000.
Kious tells troopers on Jan. 6 that he had no involvement in the burglary, and that he only attempted to help a man sell the walrus skull and tusks. He estimated that they were worth around $5,000.
Between Dec. 18 and Dec. 30, Melvin and Rice allegedly try to sell a Barrett .50 BMG to several different people for $7,000 to $7,500, according to charging documents.
A tip comes in to troopers on Dec. 29 that a man named Darrion Erickson has the stolen gun. The tipster says that Erickson hid the gun in a blanket in a van. The tipster shows troopers a picture of the gun on a blanket on the passenger seat of a car and two videos of the gun without the scope. The tipsters also said that Erickson also had a .45 caliber handgun in his possession.
Troopers find Erickson and a blue van at a North Pole home on Dec. 29. Troopers did not find the stolen firearms at the house, but they find a blanket in the van which matched the blanket in the photo.
Melvin tells troopers on Jan. 8 that she got the gun from Rice and Erickson, and that she tried to sell it for $2,000 and $7,000.
On Dec. 29, troopers ask Shelby Nesbitt, the girlfriend of Erickson, where his phone is. She doesn’t tell them where it is, and a search of the house does not turn up the phone. She is accused of resetting the phone on Dec. 29
Shortly after Erickson is arrested on Dec. 30, he calls his mother from Fairbanks Correctional Center and confirms that Nesbitt has his phone.
Troopers return to Erickson’s house on Jan. 2, knowing that Nesbitt has the phone, charging documents state. She says that she does not know where the phone is, and later says that she may have left the phone in Erickson’s mother’s car. Troopers find the phone in a shopping tote in a cabinet next to Nesbitt’s bed.
A search warrant for Melvin’s phone shows that she had been in the area of Northwest Mining from approximately 3:50 a.m. to 4:17 a.m. on Dec. 14, the complaint stated. She also made a phone call to Rice during that time.
According to charging documents, Melvin told troopers on Jan. 8 that she dropped Rice off at the intersection of Peger Road and Van Horn Road on Dec. 14 so he could walk to his girlfriend’s house, which is approximately one mile from that location.
An exchange of guns for money
Mining business owner Timothy Green offers financial rewards on Jan. 4 for the return of his stolen property.
A man named Bradley Moody calls and texts Green on Jan. 5, offering to return the stolen property in exchange for the reward money.
Green and Moody text for approximately three hours and arrange a way to exchange two stolen rifles. Moody reportedly texts Green that he did not want law enforcement involved, and said that he would “bury” and “put you in a ditch” if Green involved law enforcement.
Moody drops off two stolen rifles in exchange for $1,000 in cash, the criminal complaints stated.
According to one complaint, Moody starts using a different phone number on Jan. 6 and texts Green about exchanging more firearms in exchange for reward money. Moody reportedly demands that Green deposit $2,000 in a CashApp account that he said belonged to Rice.
Moody and Green arranged that $1,000 in cash would be dropped next to a dumpster, and Moody would tell Green where the other firearms were. Moody reportedly picked up the money and does not contact Green to return the rest of the stolen property, according to the complaint.
Moody told troopers on Jan. 8 that he saw Rice with the two guns and figured that the firearms came from the burglary. Moody said that he proposed to Christy Melvin that he could get Timothy Green to pay for the firearms if Melvin told him where the firearms were.
Moody told troopers on Jan. 8 that he was ultimately hoping to get a job from Green.
The investigation continues
Timothy Green declined to provide a comment on the investigation to the News-Miner.
According to troopers, the investigation is ongoing. Not all of the stolen property has been recovered, and rewards are still available.
Anyone with information about the incident can call the Alaska State Troopers in Fairbanks at 907-451-5100, submit tips through the AKTips smartphone app, submit tips securely online at dps.alaska.gov/tips, or by texting a tip to AKTips at 847411.
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