Cory Fletcher, the owner of a Washington-based company that specializes in steel buildings, came for the first time to Redmond for a job. But Fletcher and his seven-man crew received a rude welcome.

On Jan. 16, he woke up to find his 20-foot trailer filled with $50,000 worth of specialized tools had been stolen. Fletcher said he had failed to notify his insurance company that would be working out out of state, so the tools were not covered. He thought he was ruined.

Fletcher said when he went to police about the theft, he didn’t expect much. He had his property stolen in the past and not much came from filing a report.

But lucky for him, Redmond police were able to quickly recover his trailer — or what was left of it.

“They recovered the trailer about two and a half or three hours after I reported it missing,” said Fletcher. “They identified the vehicle that was used to steal the trailer from security footage … they busted all the lights off of it, broke wheel wells off of it, busted the hitch jack, ran over a mattress. When they found the trailer it had a queen sized mattress bound up under it.”

Then on Jan. 30 at 8 a.m., the Redmond police and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team, searched a homeless camp on Bureau of Land Management property east of town. Crews saw Fletcher’s tools at the camp, according to police lieutenant Eric Beckwith. 

In addition to the tools, during the search police found an air rifle made to look like an AK-47, as well as loaded magazine amd ammunition. 

Ryan Pooschke, 50, and Breann Sullens, 26, were both living at the property. They were arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, first-degree aggravated theft, first-degree criminal mischief, second-degree criminal trespass, felon in possession of a restricted weapon and probation violation. 

Beckwith said no real firearms were found during the search, however, some prohibited weapons were found. Police had prior information that Pooschke may have had a gun which made it necessary to deploy the SWAT team for the arrests.

“Because of his criminal history and the information that he had a weapon we deployed (the Central Oregon Response Team),” said Beckwith.

According to Oregon court records, Pooschke has an extensive criminal history including for robbery, drug possession and assault.

Beckwith said tools are susceptible to theft, and it can be difficult to recover them.

“I think it is pretty common for people who are engaged in theft to steal tools because they can be resold,” he said. “It took some pretty steadfast police work to track those tools to Mr. Pooschke. Many times we don’t find the stolen tools.” 

Fletcher, a former law enforcement officer, said he is grateful to Redmond police for finding his property. 

“(Redmond police) didn’t just take it all the way,” he said. “The officers that were out there today, they were charged about it …they treated it as if it were as important to them and it is to me.”

Fletcher said having the equipment back means he can keep his crew together and employed.

“The seven guys that work for me, their entire livelihood depends on that trailer and those tools,” he said. “Without that they can’t pay their rent, they can’t feed their kids.”