A former employee of the Flying E Cattle Co. in Taylor, is now serving 10.5 years in prison for trafficking in goods he stole from the ranch earlier this year. William Bradley Palmer, 49, of Taylor, entered a guilty plea for his crimes and was sentenced in Navajo County Superior Court on July 15.
In April, owners at the Flying E Cattle Co. reported a burglary at their ranch. Several items, totaling more than $6,000 in replacement value, were stolen, including firearms, equestrian gear, tools and fuel. The owners suspected Palmer, a former employee who had recently been served with an injunction against workplace harassment, had stolen the property.
The Snowflake Taylor Police Department investigated the burglary, connecting shoe prints at the scene to those worn by Palmer, and within days of the burglary, discovering Palmer had pawned two of the firearms at a pawnshop in Lakeside.
Trafficking in stolen property is a Class 2 felony and carries a sentencing range of three to 12.5 years. Palmer is serving his sentence with the Arizona Department of Corrections.
“Through sharp investigative procedures, the Snowflake-Taylor Police Department brought quick resolution to this crime,” said Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon. “I am proud of the work of Deputy County Attorney Patrick Zinicola, who secured swift justice for the victims and a sentence length that demonstrates our office takes seriously the rights of property owners in Navajo County.”
