A Sallisaw man who was found to be staying in a storage shed at a local business and then trespassed from the property, is charged after failing to register as a sex offender.
Micah Albertson, 26, was charged on Sept. 17 and is awaiting an Oct. 2 felony disposition docket with Associate Judge Kyle Waters, according to court records.
Sequoyah County Sheriff ’s Deputy Daniel Whitus said on Sept. 1 he was dispatched to a business on U.S. Hwy. 64 in reference to Albertson trespassing on the property. Whitus told Albertson why he’d been called to the area but Albertson claimed he had permission by the owner to be on the premises.
Whitus told Albertson that it was unusual for a business owner to allow someone to stay there while the business was closed. Albertson then told the deputy he came in during business hours and asked if he could store his personal belongings in one of the storage buildings, since it was raining, and the owner allowed him to do so. He said the owner told him he would not be responsible for his belongings, and he had permission to stay in one of the storage buildings at night, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case.
The deputy said he told Albertson since the gate to the business was not closed and he allegedly had permission to stay there, he would not force him to leave, but would be verifying his claim.
Later that evening, the deputy returned to the area after the business owner called and stated that Albertson did not have permission to stay there, and wanted him trespassed.
Deputy Alan Ramey was then sent to inform Albertson that the business owner had not given him permission to stay there, and that he needed to leave and not return.
It was then discovered that Albertson was a registered sex offender and had last registered on July 15, as staying at a motel in Roland. According to the affidavit, Albertson had been spotted residing under a bridge near Roland, at storage buildings near Moffett, and at a local Roland business.
Albertson’s probation officer was contacted and it was discovered that Albertson was currently in his office. Whitus then met with Albertson at the probation office, placed him under arrest, and transported him to the Sequoyah County Detention Center where he was booked in on his charge.
If found guilty of the crime, District Attorney Jack Thorp said it is punishable by imprisonment for not more than five years and/or a fine not to exceed $5,000, or both.
