GRAND FORKS, ND (trfnews.i234.me) — Mark Steven Crompton, 43, waived his preliminary hearing on Monday, November 25, and entered a not-guilty plea to several charges. The charges stem from an incident in which he allegedly stole a semi-truck from a Grand Forks dealership during an attempt to evade law enforcement.
Crompton faces the following charges:
- Class A felony theft exceeding $50,000, punishable by up to 20 years in prison
- Class B felony criminal mischief for damages exceeding $10,000
- Two counts of Class C felony unlawful entry into a vehicle
- Class A misdemeanor theft (between $500 and $1,000)
- Class B misdemeanor refusal to halt
On May 27, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Crompton allegedly fled from a Grand Forks corporal investigating a prior theft. Around the same time, a dealership reported a stolen 2005 Peterbilt semi, valued at $140,000, along with an attached trailer and equipment worth $360,000.
The semi was found abandoned later that day with significant damage totaling $11,889.96. Crompton’s belongings were discovered inside the vehicle, linking him to the theft. His trial is set for February 20.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for trfnews.i234.me