Man charged with stealing father's tools

A 40-year-old Columbia Falls man has been charged with felony theft after he allegedly stole tools from his father and pawned them.

Jason Dull was ordered to jail by Flathead County District Court Judge Heidi Ulbricht on Feb. 12 for failing to appear at court appearances in October and November last year.

He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine if convicted of a single count of felony theft. Dull also is charged with criminal contempt for failing to appear.

According to court records, Dull’s father contacted law enforcement on May 17, 2014 after he returned from an out-of-town trip and found about $3,000 worth of tools missing from his shop. He said he left his home in charge of his son while he was gone.

Dull allegedly admitted to officers the next day that he had pawned some tools and intended to get them back to his father.

As officers escorted Dull to retrieve the pawn slips, they allegedly saw assorted drug paraphernalia, including pipes and syringes. Dull denied using drugs other than marijuana. The drug paraphernalia was sent to the Montana Crime Lab for analysis.

Some of the missing tools were retrieved from two pawn shops the following day. Bail was initially set at $20,000, and Dull pleaded not guilty on July 3, 2014.

Dull was released on his own recognizance on June 16 but he failed to appear for a hearing on Oct. 31 and his jury trial on Nov. 12. He was remanded to the custody of the sheriff’s office when he appeared in district court with his attorney on Feb. 12.