Spencer men sent to prison for trying to steal big screen TVs from Mason City Walmart

MASON CITY – Two Spencer men who brazenly loaded up big-screen TVs they stole from a Mason City Walmart have been sent to prison.

The incident took place on May 9, 2016. Around 3:19 AM that morning, Walmart employees reported a shoplifting incident at the store. Denver Josephtate Crumpton, now age 28, and Nikolas Ryan Harken, now age 29, both of Spencer, Iowa, entered and left the store prior to the crime. As they were in the store, they headed to the electronics section and apparently spent time around specific large-screen TVs and then left. Harken re-entered the store alone, loaded two of the large-screen TVs into a cart and pushed it past the check-out registers without paying. As he went outside, employees tried to stop him, but he allegedly ran with the cart briefly into the parking lot but then abandoned the cart and TVs. He ran west to where Crumpton was waiting in a running vehicle. Crumpton then drove over to pick Harken up. Employees reported the theft and a Cerro Gordo deputy was nearby on Highway 122. He intercepted the vehicle leaving near the Best Buy store and made the traffic stop. The two TVs were valued at $1,800.

Harken and Crumpton were both arrested for felony second-degree theft. Crumpton was also charged with Driving while Barred.

This month, Crumpton pled guilty to felony second-degree theft and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. He was also ordered to pay $1,428.13 to Iowa courts.  Over a year ago, Harken pled guilty to a reduced charge of third-degree theft and was sent to prison for up to 2 years, but appears to have been released already.