A Sisters, Ore., man was arrested Wednesday morning in connection with a series of construction site and heavy equipment thefts around the Vancouver and Portland areas.
Paul Weston, 46, was lodged into the Deschutes County Jail in Oregon on suspicion of one count of first-degree aggravated theft, four counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, seven counts of trafficking in vehicles with destroyed or altered identification numbers, four counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and one count of unlawful possession of fentanyl.
The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team identified Weston as the suspect in the thefts after receiving several community tips and a report from a Deschutes County sheriff’s deputy. Weston was also arrested last month on suspicion of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to an agency news release.
The initial investigation alleges Weston stole dump trailers, a car trailer, side-by-side ATVs, a skid steer loader, a bucket loader and a tractor from various locations around Portland and Vancouver over a two-month period. He brought the stolen property to his home, where he obliterated serial numbers and painted equipment to disguise it. Detectives said it appears he was later selling or renting the equipment for profit, the news release states.
