Mills Teen Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Guns

A Mills teen arrested Tuesday faces six felony charges after allegedly stealing guns and trying to pawn stolen tools earlier this year.

Cody Coker, 18, was booked into jail on two counts each of aggravated burglary, conspiracy and receiving/concealing stolen property.

Charging papers say Casper police began investigating in May after Coker and three others allegedly tried to pawn stolen tools at Depend-A-Pawn.

Brady Westwood, 19, was arrested during that encounter after claiming he was given the tools and was trying to pawn them on behalf of someone who was underage -- but the person Westwood referenced was 21 at the time.

Westwood later allegedly admitted that two others had been "car hopping" near Kelly Walsh High School and found keys in a vehicle. That car was stolen and hidden in the Cole Creek area.

Coker reportedly told police he and Westwood gave the people who stole the car $20 for some tools out of the vehicle. He and Westwood allegedly said they planned to pawn the tools to make money.

Both Westwood and Coker were released from the police department that night.

About a week later, a detective met Westwood and Coker at their address in Mills. Coker was reportedly uncooperative, and was arrested.

Westwood spoke further with police, giving a different timeline than what he described previously. He was arrested as well, and the pair were taken to jail.

While Coker was in jail, police interviewed other people and learned that Coker had hidden stolen firearms inside his house. Coker's mother reportedly consented to a search, and police found two guns -- a Ruger LCP semi-automatic pistol and an HK 91 semi-automatic assault rifle -- in the drop panels of the ceiling in Coker's bedroom.

The Ruger had been stolen out of a vehicle, but police were initially unable to confirm whether the rifle had been stolen. Officers notified the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which sent an agent to Casper to interview Coker.

Coker allegedly told the ATF agent that a female told him about a pistol in an unlocked vehicle near the McDonalds by the mall. She reportedly said the vehicle belonged to a friend of hers.

Coker claimed he stayed behind while another person named Patrick went to the car and stole the pistol. He didn't say much more, but reportedly admitted that he knew the gun was stolen from a silver car that was parked at a motel.

Coker allegedly went on to talk about two larger guns that were stolen out of a house. On that occasion as well, Coker said, an unnamed female told him about a house where the homeowner had died. She also described $6,000 in a safe beneath a couch.

The safe was gone, Coker told the ATF agent, and the guns were stolen from under a couch. He reportedly said the guns stayed in the bed of his friend's truck for months.

Minutes later, though, Coker allegedly changed his story.

He reportedly said he drove to the trailer and took the guns with his friends, then went and fired the guns with his friends. One rifle jammed, so they threw it into the river. Coker said he wanted to throw them all in the river, but his friends wanted to sell them.

Coker allegedly talked about the HK and the case that was with it, describing the case and some included accessories.

Coker later admitted that the rifle was never thrown in the river; a friend had sold it.

The owner of the Ruger confirmed that the pistol was taken out of her vehicle on April 16 while it was parked in front of the First Interstate Inn in Casper.

Police say investigators are still working to find the third rifle, and charges are pending for the others involved.