A California man pleaded guilty to nine theft-related felonies in Natrona County District Court on Tuesday, admitting to stealing four vehicles, various firearms and other items in 2020.
Joseph Ramirez Jr. now awaits sentencing. As a part of a plea agreement with the state, the court dropped four additional charges he faced for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
He was arrested during a traffic stop in Casper in December. Officers then connected him to a string of burglaries in Utah and Wyoming, which began as early as March 2020, according to Judge Daniel Forgey.
In court Tuesday, Ramirez admitted to stealing a black Ford F-150 truck, a 2004 GMC Sierra truck, a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu, a white Chevrolet Impala, two industrial BTU heaters, three television sets, eight firearms and various other items over several months in 2020. The Impala, F-150 and heaters were reported stolen from Utah.
According to an affidavit in the case, officers reportedly found several stolen firearms and “copious” amounts of narcotics in his car during the December traffic stop.
Following his plea, Ramirez is convicted of three counts of burglary (including a charge of aggravated burglary) and six of wrongful taking and disposing of property.
Court documents state much of the stolen property was found and connected to Ramirez through a series of traffic stops, citizen reports and surveillance video from a Casper gas station. One of the stolen trucks and a TV turned up at a local towing company, and officers found another, along with some firearms, in Alcova.
A review of Ramirez’s criminal history included in court documents found he was convicted of four prior felonies, including vehicle theft and burglary, in California between 1997 and 2008.
Ramirez told investigators, according to court filings, that he was in Casper at the time of his arrest for his daughter’s birthday.