Woman charged with theft of a firearm

A woman from Arizona who was allegedly in the process of moving to Crook County has been charged with theft after allegedly holding a citizen’s firearm “hostage” and demanding money in exchange for returning it.

On September 10, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a Pine Haven address to take a report of a stolen gun. He spoke with the homeowner who had reported the stolen gun, who said he had met a woman in Arizona who had told him she wanted to move to Wyoming.

The alleged victim stated that he had allowed Lisa Ingalls to stay at his house for a few weeks while she looked for a job. On August 14, she allegedly left his home, saying she needed to return to Arizona to get her last paycheck.

The victim stated that, the next day, he noticed a firearm that had been present in the room she was staying in was now missing. He texted Ingalls about it, and she allegedly said she took it for protection.

According to court reports, the victim said he wanted his gun back. He then began getting messages from Ingalls that she needed money as her car had broken down.

The victim claims he told Ingalls he was not going to give her any money; in response, she said he would not get his gun back unless he sent her money. Over the next few weeks, the victim claimed he received different stories from her, all related to requests for money.

The stories included that Ingalls had shot her aunt and needed money to make the legal trouble go away, which the victim said he was able to disprove by contacting the aunt in question. Ingalls also allegedly claimed she was going to file off the serial number and sell the gun; that she would mail it back to him, but in pieces; and that she was going to bring the gun back but would have members of the mafia with her.

According to the victim, the claims were made in various ways, including phone conversations, voicemails and texts. What each message allegedly had in common was the demand for money.

Ingalls has been charged with a felony count of theft, with a maximum penalty of ten years’ incarceration, a $10,000 fine or both.