Davis receives deferred sentence for attempted theft

A Kalispell woman arrested after her boyfriend admitted their roles in a self-storage theft ring received a deferred, three-year sentence in Lincoln County District Court on Jan. 6.

Lyann Renee Davis, 26, pleaded guilty to attempted theft. In return, prosecutors dropped theft and criminal trespass charges. She changed her plea Sept. 9.

Davis was one of a trio of people arrested in connection with the break-ins at a Eureka storage facility in 2018, according to court documents. After investigating the initial thefts, Deputy Bo Pitman of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office set up a trap using game cameras, thinking the thieves planned to return to the scene to steal several stored motorcycles and dirt bikes.

Footage showed a pair of vehicles pulling up to the storage units. A man got out, stood there for a moment and then the group departed, court documents said.

Evidence in the video helped Pitman link the suspects to the theft of a trailer containing “high end meat grinding gear” from a local hardware store. Combined with surveillance footage obtained from a nearby gas station, Pitman gleaned enough information about the suspects and their vehicles to pass along to Flathead County.

Authorities there contacted Pitman days later, saying they had stopped a vehicle matching the descriptions he had provided.

The driver was Timothy Johnson of Lake County. He told Flathead County detectives that Davis was his girlfriend, court documents said. On the night of the attempted theft of the motorcycles, he had taken her out for an evening of gambling at her request, according to police affidavits.

Along the way, she asked if they could stop and help a friend, Johnson told authorities. After picking up Davis’ brother, Joshua Miller, the trio headed to the self-storage facility in Eureka, court documents said.

Upon arrival, Miller became suspicious and they left, Johnson told authorities.

Johnson pleaded guilty to attempted theft in November as part of an agreement with prosecutors. He received a suspended, two-year sentence for his role in the break-ins.

As part of her agreement, Davis remains liable for restitution for the thefts.