Mayville Dealership Tampering Leads To Felony

Mayville Dealership Tampering Leads To Felony

Mayville, N.D. (trfnews.i234.me) — A Portland, North Dakota, man is facing a felony charge after authorities say he was found tampering with side-by-sides at a closed Mayville dealership.

Jebadiah Dylan Hanson, 41, was arrested May 23 at Finley Motors in Mayville. The dealership is located at 935 3rd Ave. SE.

According to court records filed in Traill County, Hanson was charged with criminal attempt. The charge is listed as a Class C felony.

Authorities Say Dealership Was Closed

According to a probable cause affidavit, a state trooper saw Hanson in the dealership parking lot. The affidavit says doors were open on several side-by-sides. Items had also been pulled out.

The dealership was closed at the time, according to the court filing.

Employees were contacted after Hanson was found on the lot. They told authorities Hanson had no permission to be there. They also said he was not employed by the dealership.

Damage Reported To Side-By-Side

Employees who responded found damage to one side-by-side. The machine had a sticker price of $31,999.

The ignition had been punched out, according to the affidavit. The battery had also been tampered with. Employees also reported that the winch had been pulled out.

Employees told investigators the damage appeared consistent with an attempt to bypass the ignition system.

Investigators also reported another issue on the lot. They said Hanson placed a registration from a separate side-by-side into another machine.

That registration belonged to a side-by-side owned by Hanson’s brother-in-law. That machine was valued at $51,999, according to court records.

Hanson explained to the officers

Hanson told officers he went to the dealership because of a side-by-side he had driven there. He said he believed it had been assembled incorrectly.

He told officers he was comparing it with other machines on the lot.

Hanson also told officers he was trying to investigate an unrelated case. He said that the case involved the death of a Traill County man.

Authorities arrested Hanson at the scene. He was transported to Grand Forks County Corrections.

An initial appearance was scheduled for May 26 in Traill County.

More information about North Dakota court cases is available through the North Dakota Courts. Location information for the dealership can be viewed through Google Maps.

I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.