LOGAN, Utah — A 48-year-old Montana man, Michael Jack Bothman, has been extradited to Cache Valley to face charges related to the theft of expensive construction equipment. Bothman was temporarily booked into the Cache County Jail on December 16 after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
The case dates back to July 31, 2024, when Cache County Sheriff’s deputies were called to investigate a burglary and theft at a local property. The alleged victim reported that approximately $97,000 worth of equipment had been stolen, including a small forklift valued at $85,000 and a large shipping container valued at around $7,500.
As deputies gathered evidence, they discovered that similar thefts had been reported in neighboring areas, including Idaho Falls and Brigham City. Officers in these locations suspected that the same individuals were behind the thefts. Investigators noted that the stolen equipment, which required specialized knowledge to operate, suggested the involvement of someone with expertise in heavy machinery.
A breakthrough in the case came when law enforcement obtained a warrant for Bothman’s cell phone records, which indicated that he had been in the Cache Valley area around the time the forklift and shipping container went missing. Deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office then applied for and executed a search warrant at Bothman’s residence in Rollins, Montana. During the search, they recovered the stolen forklift inside a shipping container on his property.
Bothman has been charged with theft, a second-degree felony, in Logan’s 1st District Court. He is scheduled to appear before a judge on Monday, where he could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
The investigation is ongoing as law enforcement continues to link Bothman to other potential thefts in the region.
