Sisters residents arraigned in antler theft

Three Sisters-area residents were arraigned Monday in Deschutes County Circuit Court on felony charges following a joint Oregon State Police (OSP) and Deschutes County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) investigation into a burglary and antler theft from the Patterson Ranch in Sisters.

The investigation began following a February 21 traffic stop by OSP Fish & Wildlife Trooper Marv Ritter on Highway 26 in Grant County.

Ritter discovered the trailer towed by the stopped vehicle was full of elk antlers and buttons (the base of the antler commonly used to make belt buckles and other handcrafted items). Several more antlers and buttons were inside the driven vehicle.

During the stop the vehicle's driver, Sean Ray Wright, age 41, was arrested for

failure to register change of address as a sex offender. Ritter noted that the three vehicle occupants were enroute to

La Grande to sell the antlers.

Suspicious that the antlers had some characteristics that they were from a cervid ranching operation, Ritter checked to determine if there was a recent reported theft of antlers. This initial check revealed none, but two days later Ritter learned DCSO Detective Tim Hernandez received a report of burglary and theft from the Patterson Ranch.

OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers from Baker City and La Grande determined who the antlers were sold to, recovering 39 antler halves and 80 buttons from a La Grande residence.

"I'm just glad to have the antlers back," said Richard Patterson. "I didn't get them all back, but the big ones I got back. I'm just delighted."

With the assistance of the Deschutes County District Attorney's Office, a search warrant was obtained. On February 25, OSP troopers and DCSO deputies served the search warrant at a Sisters residence where they seized additional evidence and recovered stolen property from the Sisters ranch burglary.

As a result of the joint investigation, the following Sisters residents were arraigned Monday, April 12, in Deschutes County Circuit Court on the following crimes: Sean Ray Wright, age 41 - aggravated theft first degree (one count); theft in the first degree (two counts); burglary in the second degree (five counts). Ronald Maciel, Jr., age 43 - aggravated theft first degree (one count); theft in the first degree (two counts); burglary in the second degree (four counts). Elizabeth Marie Miller, age 41 - aggravated theft first degree (one count); theft in the first degree (two counts); burglary in the second degree (two counts).