SLAYTON — Randall Rogers, 42, of Slayton, will not serve any additional jail time for a series of farm equipment thefts, it was determined Monday afternoon.
Rogers faced sentencing on two cases filed last year in which he was accused of stealing farm equipment.
Six charges were filed against him in August , less than six months after he served 45 days in jail for a 2018 farm equipment theft. August charges included two counts of theft, two counts of receiving stolen property and two misdemeanor drug offenses. Stolen items included a John Deere cultivator.
About a month later , Rogers was served with 10 additional charges, all of receiving stolen property, stemming from a 2017 investigation of equipment thefts across the region. Rogers and an accomplice were accused of stealing farming implements valued at a total of more than $57,000.
The August case represented a probation violation in his 2018 conviction, in which a 13-month prison sentence was stayed in favor of five years of supervised probation. When the state filed additional charges in September, prosecutors stated an intention to seek the statutory maximum sentence for receiving stolen property, which is set at 10 years in prison and/or a fine of $50,000 for property valued at $1,000 or more.
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However, Rogers's ultimate sentence in both matters did not result in any additional time served. Rogers pleaded guilty to one charge of theft in the August filing and one charge of receiving stolen property in the September filing, with the 14 other charges dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
At the sentencing hearing Monday, Fifth Judicial District Judge Christina Wietzema sentenced Rogers to 15 months in prison for theft and 12 months and one day for receiving stolen property, with both sentences' execution stayed in favor of up to five years of supervised probation. He must pay a $600 fine for each conviction (for a total of $1,200), which he may work off through community service.
Rogers was given credit for 72 days and 144 days of time served in Lyon County Jail for the August and September cases, respectively. He will not be required to serve any additional jail time.
Additionally, Rogers was ordered to pay restitution on all charges, including those that were dismissed. Normally, an affidavit of restitution must be filed within 30 days of the sentencing, but prosecutor Travis Smith asked that the victims be given 60 days in this case, as there has been some difficulty in returning the stolen property. Rogers had made a habit of switching out serial number plates and side panels — as well as making other alterations to the farm equipment or dismantling implements altogether — in an effort to make the equipment difficult to recognize and trace.
As part of his supervised probation conditions, Rogers is required to complete drug court.
"I think you'll find that to be useful if you fully participate," Wietzema told Rogers.
