LEA COUNTY, N.M. – A coordinated investigation has led to the arrest of Jonathan Allen Stamper, a business owner accused of orchestrating a multistate theft scheme involving stolen pumpjacks valued at over $2 million.
On Thursday, November 14, 2024, law enforcement launched an investigation after Saguaro Petroleum reported the theft of five pumpjacks from federal well sites in Lea County, halting oil production and causing over $1 million in losses.
Shortly after, Southwest Royalties Inc. also reported the theft of six pumpjacks from nearby fields in Eddy County, also exceeding $1 million in damages.
The investigation, supported by authorities from Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and federal agencies, traced the stolen equipment across state lines. Authorities allege Stamper, the owner of Stampede Lift Solutions, arranged the transport of the stolen pumpjacks under false pretenses using 7C Logistic Services, LLC, and Triple Express Trucking.
According to investigators, nine pumpjacks were sold to Tim Snelson’s Pumping Unit in Midland, while two units were delivered directly to Stampede Lift Solutions in Lindsay. Transport vehicles were found with improvised signage bearing the name “Stampede.”
The following entities were identified as victims of the scheme:
7C Logistic Services, LLC
Triple Express Trucking
Tim Snelson’s Pumping Unit
Saguaro Petroleum
Southwest Royalties Inc.
The transport fraud caused an additional $800,000 in damages to logistics and broker services, with one affected business ultimately forced to shut down. Of the eleven stolen pumpjacks, nine were recovered.
On Monday, June 9, Stamper was arrested in Norman and transferred to the Lea County Detention Center.
He faces the following charges in Lea County:
5 counts of Larceny over $20,000 (2nd Degree Felony)
1 count of Conspiracy (3rd Degree Felony)
5 counts of Criminal Damage to Property (4th Degree Felony)
The operation involved the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, Eddy County Sheriff’s Office, and U.S. Bureau of Land Management Special Agents.
