CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Millard Patrick, 53, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of stolen property.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Patrick admitted to participating in a scheme with Mindy Turner, 51, to obtain vehicles totaling approximately $172,950 in value from car dealerships in Kentucky and West Virginia.
On June 28, 2021, Turner passed a bad check at a Louisville, Kentucky, dealership so she and Patrick could obtain a 2020 Ford Explorer with an approximate value of $53,500. Patrick told the sales person that he was a veteran United States Marshal.
The following day, Patrick and Turner transported the 2020 Ford Explorer to West Virginia and attempted to trade it at a Charleston dealership for a more expensive Ford F-250. Patrick told a dealership employee that he worked for the United States Marshals Service. Patrick further told the employee that an armed deputy U.S. Marshal would deliver a check in two days to pay for the trade in, and asked that employee to hold a personal check as collateral. Law enforcement officers were summoned to the dealership and Patrick and Turner were arrested.
On July 14, 2021, while out on bond, Turner and Patrick passed a bad check at a Hurricane dealership to obtain a Jeep Cherokee with an approximate value of $60,056.22. The following day, the pair passed a bad check at a Ripley dealership to obtain a new Ford Explorer with an approximate value of $59,393.48. That same day, Patrick and Turner attempted to obtain a Ford F-150 with an approximate value of $64,108.24 from a Hurricane dealership. They were turned away when the check did not clear.
Turner previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of stolen property on April 14, 2022, and was sentenced to one year in prison.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the assistance provided by the Charleston Police Department, the Hurricane Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisville, Kentucky, Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-18.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
