A gatekeeper at a small-town rail yard in western Minnesota where hundreds of new cars are kept let several people sneak in and pick out whatever vehicle they wish "at a very low price," according to charges filed against one of the purchasers.
Jamie L. Bevins, 40, of White Earth, Minn., was charged Monday in Clay County District Court with three counts of felony auto theft and remains jailed.
The BNSF rail yard near Dilworth houses roughly 360 vehicles at any one time once they are removed from trains and then trucked to dealerships, according to the criminal complaint against Bevins, which outlines how the "possible theft ring" operated.
Bevins told authorities that his trip to the informal rail yard showroom occurred Oct. 5, when he and five others were driven there in a pickup, the charges read.
BNSF spokeswoman Amy McBeth said six vehicles in all were stolen in this clandestine shopping trip. Dilworth police investigator Hunter Rawson said authorities have recovered all six, which totaled about $250,000 in value.
According to the complaint:
Bevins' sister told him he "could purchase a vehicle at a low price." A pickup, with his sister and others as passengers, picked him up and headed to the rail yard.
The pickup's driver said his girlfriend worked at the yard and would let them in the front gate, which operates manually and was opened upon their arrival.
The driver told everyone in the pickup that "they could select the vehicle that they wanted and that the keys and titles would be inside of the vehicles," the complaint read.
Bevins said he got behind the wheel of a new GMC Yukon XL, a vehicle that retails for about $50,000, which he drove back to his home. He said he expected his son to pay the pickup driver for the vehicle.
He said he saw others pick out vehicles as well but saw no payment change hands.
Rawson said there have been no additional arrests "thus far" but held out the prospect of more to come.
McBeth said, "this is still very much an active investigation" and declined to comment further.
Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482
