Bonner County investigators search Mr. D's Auto Repair and Salvage Yard on Highway 41, just south of Oldtown, as part of an ongoing car theft and stolen property investigation.
 
Investigators looking for fugitives uncovered what they suspect to be a large stolen vehicle operation near Oldtown, Idaho, last week.

Most of the cars located at Mr. D's Auto Repair and Salvage Yard on Highway 41, just south of Oldtown in Bonner County, appear to have been stolen from Washington state, said Sgt. Marty Ryan of the Bonner County Sheriff's Office.

"We are just still knee-deep in this investigation," Ryan said.

Detectives arrived at the property June 22 trying to serve two felony arrest warrants. Instead, they found a vehicle with a punched ignition that had been reported stolen in Stevens County. Detectives obtained a search warrant and spent two days seizing evidence from the property. They checked records for 294 vehicles, many with missing or altered VIN plates.

People continued to show up at the property during the search and on some occasions tried to slip past the law enforcement perimeter. Two were arrested on felony warrants and another was arrested for possession of methamphetamine.

Property owner Dennis Hiebert, 51, was arrested for possession of stolen property. Investigators confirmed five of the vehicles at the business were stolen, including a large motor home, which had its cabinetry stripped and hung in Hiebert's kitchen.

Investigators also found a small amount of meth and large quantities of drug paraphernalia.

---

---