On Thursday, December 4, 2014, in the Circuit Court of Taney County, GARRY LEE SPAIN, d/o/b 7-21-1953, of Jackson, Tennessee, entered a plea of guilty to the felony of tampering in the first degree. Spain was sentenced by Senior Judge William Roberts to five (5) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, pursuant to a plea agreement with the Taney County Prosecutor’s Office.

On October 9, 2014, Branson Police were patrolling the parking lot of Walmart on Highway 76, in Branson, Missouri, when Spain was observed sleeping in a Chevrolet pickup truck with Louisiana license plates and a missing window. Police ran the plates and discovered that the truck was reported stolen from the State of Louisiana. Upon questioning, Spain claimed that he had borrowed the truck several days before, and that no one knew he was in Missouri with it. As it turned out, Spain did not have permission to be in possession of the Chevrolet pickup. By knowingly possessing the stolen vehicle, Spain was guilty of the crime of tampering in the first degree.

Tampering in the first degree is a class C felony, which carries a range of punishment of up to seven (7) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections and/or a $5,000.00 fine.