Man convicted of scrapping government metal arrested with stolen car
Kurt Goe, 51, was to report to prison for 10 months
A 51-year-old man who pleaded guilty to stealing scrap metal from the Lower Monumental Dam in south-central Washington last year was arrested last week towing a stolen vehicle.
Kurt Goe had been ordered to self-report to federal prison following a sentencing hearing held Feb. 6, during which he pleaded guilty to swiping more than $60,000 worth of metal belonging to the Army Corps of Engineers in March 2013. At that hearing, Goe requested more time free from custody to care for an acquaintance diagnosed with cancer.
Spokane Police on Feb. 21 stopped Goe driving a truck towing a Honda sedan that had been reported stolen. Its license plate had been removed and placed in the bed of Goe’s truck.
Goe told police he was towing the car for a friend named “Ray” after the car broke down, according to court documents. Without prompting, he asked if there was something wrong with the car and said, “I had a feeling, I just didn’t ask,” investigators said.
Goe allowed police to look at his phone, where they discovered messages indicating he was planning to scrap the vehicle and sell its parts, according to court documents. He was taken into custody on a charge of possessing a stolen vehicle.
When the car was returned, the owner reported several items were missing from within, including a brass guitar slide and several CDs. Investigators are searching Goe’s truck in an attempt to find the missing items.
Goe had originally been sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for the theft of government metal and ordered to pay restitution totaling $62,950. In sentencing documents, Goe asked for vocational training during his time spent in federal confinement.