A motion hearing for a Hutchinson man charged with burglaries at airports in four states, including the Strother Field Airport between Winfield and Arkansas City, is scheduled for June 26, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Michael S. Wagner, 26, who was indicted by a federal grand jury last December, is trying to have some evidence suppressed. Jim Cross, public information officer for U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren, did not elaborate on what evidence Wagner hopes to prevent from being introduced during his trial. No trial date has been set, according to Cross.
Wagner is believed to be involved in burglaries at the Emporia Municipal Airport, the Front Range Airport in Denver, the R. L. Jones Riverside Airport in Tulsa, the Collin County Airport in McKinney, Texas and the Municipal Airport in Ponca City as well as the Strother Field Airport.
The Ponca City and Strother Field airports were burglarized in May and July 2005. Two planes stored at a Strother Field hanger that were burglarized were owned by Dennis Knackstedt, Winfield, and Kevin E. Kill, Douglass. Investigators believe Wagner also looked through two planes that were unlocked but took nothing from them.
He was arrested Jan 22, 2006 in Emporia. Some of the stolen merchandise was sold on eBay and buyers paid by mailing money through the U.S. Postal Service.
Wagner is charged with three counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of mail fraud.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the charges of interstate transportation of stolen property, and a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the other charges.
