A rural Mountain Home man who was first charged in a criminal case in 2012 was back in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Thirty-year-old Tyler Wheeler stood before the court facing charges in eight criminal cases stemming from events that took place this year and in 2021.
GUILTY PLEA ENTERED TO ALL CHARGES
After pleading guilty, Wheeler was sentenced to a 15-year prison sentence.
In what has grown into a maze of interconnected cases, Wheeler’s charges included residential burglary, breaking or entering, possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia, fleeing and theft of property.
THE TANGLE OF CASES
Wheeler’s newest charges were filed in January and June of this year. The charges in five additional cases were based on events in May 2021.
In the most current case opened against Wheeler, he was accused of participating with others in breaking into a home and detached shop building along County Road 137 in the Henderson area June 18.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the main part of the home had been entered through a sliding glass door. Entry to a lower basement area was made through an outside door.
Items taken from the home and what is described as a detached shop building included a weed eater, chain saws, clothing for both men and women, power tools, fishing tackle, a winch for a Badlands ATV and electrical testing equipment.
AIR PODS TRACKED
One item taken in the robbery helped lead investigators to those responsible. A set of Air Pods Max headphones. The headphones contained a device that allowed them to be tracked.
Investigators traced the headphones to a business and an apartment complex in Mountain Home, and a liquor store and residence on State Highway 5 South.
Information gathered by surveillance cameras at locations where the headphones were shown to have been led investigators to several suspects and eventually to Wheeler.
ONE SUSPECT FLED
One of those suspects was 37-year-old J.D. Comstock who fled from the residence on State Highway 5 South on June 20.
Investigators were checking the house out because the allegedly stolen earphones had been “pinged” at that address.
A canine tracking team from the North Central Unit of the state prison system at Calico Rock traced Comstock to a residence along Old Tracy Ferry Road where it was discovered he had allegedly stolen a vehicle.
The vehicle was found a day later abandoned in Fulton County between Gepp and Viola.
FOUR COUNTY CHASE ENDS WITH ARREST
Comstock was caught in Kansas June 30 after he crashed a motorcycle ending a high-speed chase through parts of four Kansas Counties.
He received what were described as “serious injuries.” According to information released by the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, Comstock will first face charges in Kansas.
Comstock was returned to Arkansas to face his Baxter County charges and entered a not guilty plea on August 22.
He is currently serving time on earlier charges in the East Arkansas Regional Unit of the state prison system at Brickeys.
A jury trial for Comstock is scheduled in early January next year.
WHEELER CHARGED WITH MORE THEFTS
In another one of Wheeler’s cases, he was charged with breaking into an outbuilding and stealing a number of items, including a chain saw, leaf blower and hedge trimmer.
After being developed as a suspect, Wheeler was arrested May 28, 2021, when he was found sitting in a vehicle at a service station along U.S. Highway 62/412 East.
HAD STOLEN CHAINSAW
According to the probable cause affidavit, the chainsaw reported stolen from the outbuilding was in the vehicle he occupied when taken into custody.
Wheeler told investigators he had purchased the chainsaw from a person named “Pete” at Casey’s. He claimed “Pete” was selling chainsaws out of the trunk of his car.
He said he paid $50 for the chainsaw. A similar saw is listed at about $500 at a local business. Wheeler was asked if he did not think buying a $500 item for $50 was suspicious.
He is reported to have replied he “knew it was a good deal.”
Wheeler could not give investigators “Pete’s” last name or the make and model of the vehicle from which he was selling the bargain-priced chainsaws.
The hot water Wheeler was in got deeper when officers found drugs and drug paraphernalia in his possession when they confronted him at the service station about the theft from the outbuilding.
EXTENSION CORD LEADS TO WHEELER
Wheeler was also accused of attempting to cut a catalytic converter off a truck in January. A Baxter County sheriff’s deputy investigating the crime was led to Wheeler when the deputy saw an extension cord running from the truck into Wheeler’s residence along Cranfield Road.
The cord was reportedly used to power the saw that Wheeler was using to try and remove the converter from the truck.
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