Sheriff report: Puppy purchasing scam thwarted by deputy and local bank

The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office received the following calls for the week of November 17-23:

November 17: 1:36 p.m. – A deer was reported injured west of Byron and was found beyond the Park County line.

November 18: 7:46 a.m. – A notification of a vehicle repossession in Cowley was referred to the Cowley Police Department.

12:35 p.m. – A caller reported the loss of a wallet in the Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Unit east of Lovell in case anyone found the wallet and turned it in. It had not been turned in as of November 24.

6:12 p.m. – A Byron resident called a deputy to report that they had found a dog, which was quickly reunited with its owner.

6:53 p.m. – A car vs. deer collision was reported just northeast of Byron on U.S. 14A. The car, a black Jeep Cherokee driven by 21-year-old Ashley Wagner, was “pretty smashed up,” but there was no airbag deployment.

8:26 p.m. – A large pile of hay was reported on U.S. 310 just north of the Oasis Junction. A deputy and Lovell Police officer responded.

10:09 p.m. – A caller reported that a vehicle went into an irrigation ditch on Nevada Avenue near the hospital. A 64-year-old male who has trouble seeing at night was the driver. A tow truck was called to pull out the 2011 Ford Edge, and an officer followed the driver home.

November 19: 11:57 a.m. – A caller reported a scam in which an alleged purchaser of puppies from a local person sent more money than necessary, and the seller was to refund the overage via a money order, after which the original check would be found to be fraudulent. After work by a deputy and a local bank, the mailed envelope with the money order was able to be stopped.

11:45 p.m. – A caller on Quebec Avenue in Lovell reported hearing gunshots. A police officer and sheriff’s deputy responded but were unable to hear any shots.

November 21: 3:56 p.m. – The Powell hospital called regarding a cat bite from a stray cat at a residence in Cowley.

11:33 p.m. – A caller on East Yellowstone in Byron reported that there might be a person in their backyard and that dogs were barking. A deputy responded and cleared the area, with no one suspicious found.

November 22: 2:42 p.m. – A caller in Byron reported a suspicious vehicle, but it turned out to be the neighbor’s vehicle.

November 23: Deputies accompanied Probation and Parole with eight house visits in Lovell and one in Cowley.

There were also three livestock calls this week.

Note: The above calls were received by the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office. Persons arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and charges made upon initial arrest may be amended or dismissed as determined by the County Attorney.