His stolen $6,000 ATV finally turned up after 6 years, but the sheriff’s office said it was 'theirs.' He refused to back down
Even though McCurry did offer to pay to cover the expenses for installing new tires and batteries, the deputy's answer didn't change.
When someone has property stolen and later learns that law enforcement has tracked it down, they naturally assume it's only a matter of time before they get it back. For Stacey McCurry, however, that feeling of relief was short-lived. Thieves broke into the Stillwater, Oklahoma, resident's container and took his Yamaha four-wheeler six years ago. When an official registry finally flagged that the missing vehicle was located, McCurry reached out to claim it. However, instead of getting it back, the Grady County Sheriff's Office refused to release it. They claimed that it was theirs after spending money to restore it. Refusing to give up, McCurry has now taken the matter to court, as reported by KOCO News 5 on September 16, 2026.
A break-in in Stillwater
The incident began when thieves bypassed multiple locks on two shipping containers stored on McCurry's property. Inside, they found his Yamaha four-wheeler, which he bought for roughly $6,000 and had barely driven. "This is the title and bill of sale for that four-wheeler. So I have proof that it's mine," McCurry said. He reported the theft to the Payne County Sheriff's Office immediately, but years passed without any updates. Meanwhile, deputies in neighboring Grady County recovered the vehicle during an investigation in 2021.
Vehicle re-titled and used
Grady County officials said the stolen vehicle had not been properly entered into the system, which they say prevented them from identifying McCurry as its owner. When prosecutors advised the department to clear out evidence from closed cases, officials secured a court order to transfer the title into the county's name. They then bought replacement components, reassembled the four-wheeler, and added it to their active fleet. The department then used it until recently, when the vehicle was eventually flagged in a national stolen-property database. As soon as the news reached McCurry, he called the Sheriff's office.
Deputies refused to give it back
McCurry hoped that he was finally going to get back his four-wheeler, only for the deputies to refuse him. "I asked him, 'Can I come down and get my four-wheeler?' And he said, 'No, it's ours,'" he revealed. Upon further investigation, he came to know that the vehicle had been awarded to the Grady County Sheriff's Office, and they brought it back to life. Even though McCurry did offer to pay to cover the expenses for installing new tires and batteries, the deputy's answer didn't change. The officer argued that public money had been invested in the machine.
No one's backing down
Undersheriff Kori Brewer noted that the county spent around $1,060 on parts alone. "Because it's titled in our name, we can't just give that back because there's money from taxpayers that is now involved in this," he said. Brewer added that the office will wait for a legal order before surrendering the property. As for McCurry's attorney Jeremiah Gregory, he wasn't impressed with the department's response. He stated that the police's duty is to return items to the victims. He argued that what they were doing might be correct by the book but not morally, hoping to return the vehicle to McCurry.
The dispute has since widened beyond McCurry and Grady County. In a September 21 follow-up, Payne County officials challenged Grady County's explanation, maintaining that the four-wheeler had been reported stolen and that McCurry remains its rightful owner. The two sheriff's offices are now publicly at odds over how the vehicle ended up titled to Grady County.
Oklahoma law favors returning stolen property
Oklahoma law generally treats recovered stolen property as something that should be returned to its rightful owner, not simply kept by the agency that finds it. State law says stolen property held by law enforcement should be returned to the lawful owner without unnecessary delay, once ownership is established and the property is no longer needed as evidence. Oklahoma’s crime victims’ rights guidance similarly says stolen or personal property should be returned as quickly as possible when it is no longer required for a case.
'The cops decided to ride it around'
The people also shared the sentiment in the comments. @Pat031712 commented, "He should get the property, attorney's fees, and a judgment against the county for loss of use and failure to return known stolen property." Meanwhile, @JDEads11 questioned, "Rather than return stolen property to the owner, the cops decided to ride it around. What happens to me if I do what the sheriff did?"
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