Former Libby boat shop owner faces theft charges

An Idaho man who used to run a boat repair shop in Libby is facing multiple felony charges of taking customer’s money without performing the work he promised to do.

Dennis Paul Watson, who is not in custody, pleaded not guilty on Jan. 29 to two counts of theft in Lincoln County District Court. He appeared in court on Feb. 26 for a hearing where the defense and prosecution agreed a potential jury trial would last three days.

According to the charging document filed by Lincoln County Attorney Marcia Boris, the various alleged incidents in a span of more than five years, from 2018 to 2023.

According to county Detective David Hall, the sheriff’s office began receiving complaints in April 2023 about Watson’s business, “The Other Boat Shop.” The business was registered in Montana and was operated as a boat repair and boat mechanic shop.

Watson closed the business after being evicted from the location. The complaints began after Watson allegedly took boats from area residents, agreed to repair them, but the victims lost contact with him.

Some of the missing boats turned up in Marion while others were reportedly found in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Det. Hall reported county investigators first became aware of Watson in 2018 when he and Det. Rhodes assisted the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office after Watson moved his business from Sandpoint to Libby in 2016. Hall reported that Watson brought boats from Idaho to Montana.

When owners lost contact with Watson and didn’t know where their boats were located, they filed complaints with law enforcement. One boat owner had a vessel entered as stolen and investigators filed a case with the prosecutor’s office in Idaho. Rhodes and Hall found the missing boat at his shop in Libby and relayed the information to Idaho authorities.

Idaho authorities ultimately deemed the matter a civil one.

On April 28, 2023, a Libby man filed a complaint regarding a boat he left with Watson. He wrote a $2,000 check to have Watson fix the boat. After Watson moved, the alleged victim texted him and Watson allegedly said the boat would be done soon. 

On May 9, a second man attempted to report his boat stolen, saying he’d made some kind of trade with Watson for another boat Watson owned. The man wasn’t happy when told it was a civil matter.

Then, on May 24, a Kalispell woman reported she made an agreement with Watson to sell her boat and trailer at his location in Libby. She said she dropped the boat at his business on March 14, 2021. On Aug. 21, 2023, the woman texted him wanting to know where she could pick up her boat. Watson allegedly sent her an email saying she owed $1,450 for storing the boat. The woman told Det. Hall on Sept. 25, she went to Kootenai, Idaho and picked up her boat. She said the boat engine, fish finder was gone and the interior was damaged from sitting outside.

On June 30, another man filed a complaint after taking it to Watson for repair work, but was told by a patrol deputy that it was a civil matter. The man filed an insurance claim, but it was denied because law enforcement didn’t investigate and there was no police report submitted to the insurance company. Hall then got in touch with the man and got proof of the Montana title and photos of the boat. The man estimated the value of his boat at $6,000.

On Aug. 1, another man filed a complaint with the sheriff’s office about a missing boat. The man allegedly gave Watson $1,500. But Watson moved and the man lost contact with him. The man said his boat and engines are worth $10,000. The man said he ran into Watson in the fall of 2022 and the defendant said the boat was stored somewhere in Marion.

Yet another man reported the theft of a boat on Sept. 13. He told Det. Hall he took a boat to Watson in June 2021 and gave him $4,000 cash. The man said Watson fixed the boat. He later returned to the boat to Watson for more work. The man said he talked to Watson’s son who said his dad was working on the boat. After losing touch with Watson, the man filed a complaint wanting his boat back.

On Sept. 14, Sandpoint police checked a property where Watson’s son lived. Det. Hall was told there were several boats parked there with Montana plates. Hall and Rhodes drove to the Sandpoint address on North Fifth Avenue and photographed several boats. They saw one of the missing boats and another that was owned by a Libby man who gave it to Watson to sell three years ago.

A few days later, Det. Watson received a call from a man who had reported his boat missing in August. The man said he saw his boat and two others parked at a residence near Marion. Hall and Sheriff Darren Short drove to the location near Marion. They determined two of the boats were reported missing and the third belonged to another man from Libby who gave his boat to Watson for repair work, according to the court document.

Hall then spoke to the man who owned the land where the boats were parked. He was thankful that the boat owners had retrieved their vessels. He said Watson asked him to store the boats when he closed his business in Libby. Watson allegedly said he owned the boats. He said he lost contact with Watson. He also said he moved the boats up next to the highway after deciding to build a guest cabin on his land.

Following an exchange of phone calls between Det. Hall, Watson and some of the boat owners, some of the boats were retrieved and another missing boat was found.