A van stolen from Alva has been located in Blaine County. According to court documents, on Feb. 22 Rex Dan Boham reported to Woods County Sheriff’s Deputy Dakota Davis that he believed James Sowter had stolen a vehicle from him.

Boham said he had a deal for Sowter to fix up some of his vehicles, and as payment Boham would give Sowter a 1977 Ford van he owned. The van was to be given to Sowter after the vehicles were fixed. Boham stated and showed text messages where Sowter stated that he wanted the van and wasn’t going to fix the vehicles. In the texts, Sowter demanded a bill of sale, and Boham tells him he’s not getting it until the work is done. Sowter stated that it didn’t matter, and that he didn’t need the van anymore.

Boham had last seen the van approximately three months earlier, and now it was missing from his property at 1700 Oklahoma Boulevard in Alva.

Boham believed the vehicle had been impounded by the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Davis contacted Blaine County and found the vehicle had been impounded on Dec. 17, 2022, after a traffic stop by Deputy Manuel Muniz found Sowter to be driving that vehicle

Muniz stated that he stopped the vehicle for not having a tag and for an equipment violation. During the stop, Sowter was unable to produce a bill of sale, any other proof of ownership, proof of insurance or registration. Sowter stated he had bought it from a guy he knew. Sowter was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia for which he was jailed, according to the affidavit.

On March 15 in Woods County, James Paul Sowter, 34, of Cherokee, was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, a felony. This crime is punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not to exceed two years. A warrant has been issued for Sowter.