Shannon Dossett was living in former business partner’s trailer in Balmorhea when it went missing

Pecos, Texas — Following a failed business venture, two partners parted ways in spring 2018. But one took more than his share — and now faces felony charges. Shannon Dossett, a 52-year-old man from Montgomery, was temporarily living in his former partner’s horse trailer when it went missing. Following an investigation by Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the Reeves County Sheriff’s Department, Dossett was indicted by a grand jury September 9. He now faces a felony theft charge.

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Clay McKinney says the 1997 model Elite brand trailer with living quarters was valued at $15,000, and its contents were worth an additional $2,000. McKinney, working with Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Brent Mast, was able to reveal through an investigation Dossett had the trailer hauled more than 500 miles away, to Magnolia, to be sold without the owner’s consent. That was no small feat, considering the distance across the state, and no doubt was the result of collaboration across the special rangers’ extensive network of law enforcement officers, McKinney explained.

McKinney says cases like this serve as a good reminder that property isn’t just stolen by strangers, but often by those close to you. He recommends keeping a thorough inventory, including any identifiers like license plates, serial numbers or vehicle identification numbers.

“It just might mean the difference in getting your item back — or at least restitution — or not,” McKinney said. “You can never be too careful or keep too many records.”