Four young men are charged with burglarizing a Sheridan, Wyoming, gas station after at least one of them posted evidence of the crime to Snapchat.
Kadin Koch and Kolby Quay McDougall, both about 18; Brinden Joseph Reiff, 22; and Julian Patino, 21, each face one count of felony burglary, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
Patino faces another potential three years in prison and $3,000 in fines on a second charge of helping to cover the crime up.
Koch’s case rose to the felony-level Sheridan County District Court on Monday. Reiff’s did the same Sept. 24.
McDougall’s case rose to the same court in July and is now set for a Dec. 22 trial.
Patino’s case is still in the lower, Sheridan Circuit Court. He was scheduled for a preliminary hearing this week, but it’s unclear if that hearing happened.
Blaring
The investigation started with a burglar alarm but Snapchat stories and conversations powered it through to court, an evidentiary affidavit by Sheridan County Sheriff’s Deputy Boot Hill shows.
Deputies responded to a blaring burglar alarm at the Big Horn Y gas station on Coffeen Avenue in Sheridan at 2:39 the morning of June 17, the affidavit says.
Two deputies arrived and found signs of forcible entry at the front door. Authorities contacted the business owner and reviewed video surveillance footage, the affidavit says.
Video surveillance shows three people wearing “hoodie-type apparel” and face coverings reaching the property from the direction of Highway 332 and walking “in a clandestine manner” toward the shop’s south side, trying several doors and finally breaching the front door, wrote Hill.
They scooped alcoholic drinks like Twisted Tea, tequila and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey into a green military surplus duffel bag, the affidavit says.
The Party
During the same shift, deputies responded to the Welch Recreation area to investigate a report underage drinking around a bonfire. They found no one there, but several alcohol containers in the parking area and in the smoldering fire, the document says.
After leaving the area, Deputy Austin Boreczky overheard an officer on the radio making contact with several people at the Circle K gas station on Brundage Lane in Sheridan for a minor-in-possession of alcohol investigation.
The officer later told Boreczky that the people he contacted told him they were at the Welch Rec party, says the affidavit.
‘Yeah We Robbed It’
The next day, Hill obtained the data of a Snapchat conversation between McDougall and a female. McDougall’s profile photo was a “story” picture of three males in Buffalo, Wyoming, the affidavit says.
“Bye shithole,” wrote McDougall, according to Hill’s copy of the conversation.
“Where ya going,” asks the female.
“Texas,” he answers.
The female jabs McDougall for not saying goodbye, in Hill’s copy of the conversation.
“I couldn’t say bye to my mom or dad don’t worry,” says McDougall.
“Why,” asks the female.
“Cause we running,” he answers. “Yk the bighorn y.”
She does know the Bighorn Y, she answers.
“Ummm yeah we robbed it,” says McDougall, reportedly.
“Your (sic) so stupid,” she answers.
“Who’s all going?” she asks.
“Me and the two on my story,” says McDougall.
“You are so dumb,” the female reiterates.
The other two men on the story photo were Reiff and Koch, the affidavit says.
At The Sheriff’s Office
McDougall’s father said he didn’t know where the young man was as of June 18, but by June 20, Hill was able to meet with McDougall at the sheriff’s office, the affidavit says.
McDougall said Patino drove the four youths to the store but didn’t enter the store with them. The group went to Story, then back to Sheridan later, Hill wrote.
Earlier on the night of the alleged burglary, a female rode past the store with three of the males to help them scope it out and make sure no one was there, said McDougall.
More Snapchat
Hill obtained search warrants for McDougall’s, Koch’s and Reiff’s Snapchat accounts. In them he saw a photograph of the three, plus Patino, posing with “an assortment of alcohol,” Hill wrote.
The photo bore a timestamp of 3:01 a.m., June 17. McDougall, Koch and Reiff were wearing the same clothing as the people captured on the surveillance video, the affidavit says.
The alcohol bottles matched those shown on the video too, added Hill.
The photo bore location data for Story, Wyoming.
In the Snapchat accounts (the affidavit doesn’t say which), Hill saw a video clip of Patino, Reiff and two masked people in a vehicle, he wrote. The masks matched those shown on the video, reportedly.
That video clip bore a timestamp of 2:25 a.m. mountain daylight time — moments before the alarm sounded.
Another video, time-stamped 2:39 a.m., showed several bottles of alcohol consistent with those stolen, wrote Hill.
Koch’s SnapChat also divulged his location, showing it near the Big Horn Y store at 2:59 a.m., says the affidavit.
Hill found Reiff at the Johnson County Detention Center on July 11, and interviewed him there. Reiff admitted to entering the store with McDougall and Koch, the deputy wrote.
“I didn’t think we were actually going to do it,” said Reiff. “We were circling the building, and I was like, ‘You’re just being dumb.’ The next thing you know those two grabbed the door.”
Burn Those
Hill obtained another Snapchat conversation, between Koch and Patino, the affidavit says.
“You got a pic of the alcohol?” asks Patino.
“No not without us,” says Koch, in the copy of the conversation Hill documented.
“Don’t be telling people tho g (sic),” adds Koch.
“Haven’t told anyone,” says Patino, reportedly.
“Burn those hoodies and the bag,” says Koch, in the copy. “Except for the suicidal boys one.”
“The bag too?” asks Patino.
“Yeah,” says Koch, in the document. “Get rid of any evidence.”
“Okay bet,” says Patino.
“We all together still,” says Koch. “Just keep it on the dl.”
“Yessir,” says Patino.
Patino suggest that he not use his own car for a while.
Koch says the car is probably fine, in the copy of the conversation.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
