Man connected with Pocatello armed robbery arrested for alleged car theft
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POCATELLO — A man connected to an armed robbery in Pocatello two weeks ago has been arrested and charged with two completely separate crimes.
Micole “Mike” Johnathan Hamilton, 23, was arrested Wednesday and charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing a car he was test-driving in Twin Falls just over a month ago, according to court records.
Officers with the Twin Falls Police Department were contacted by the vehicle’s owner around 9:45 p.m. May 30, an affidavit of probable cause shows.
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The owner told officers he had listed his 2001 Volkswagen Jetta for sale on Facebook Marketplace and was contacted by the owner of a Facebook account with the name “Juuse Temp.” After comparing the profile photo attached to the account with DMV photos, Juuse Temp was identified as Hamilton.
Hamilton and the victim arranged a meeting at the victim’s workplace on Blue Lakes Boulevard North.
The victim told officers Hamilton arrived in a black 2006 Dodge Charger with an unknown man.
Hamilton appeared trustworthy, the victim told officers, so he was allowed to take a test drive alone in the vehicle while the victim waited in the parking lot with the second man. After entering the store to assist a co-worker, the victim returned to the parking lot to discover the second man and the Charger were gone.
The victim texted Hamilton several times, requesting he return the car. Hamilton apparently answered the messages at first, then stopped and eventually blocked the victim’s number, according to court documents.
Twin Falls PD received an attempt to locate the following day from the Jerome County Sheriff’s Office. They were searching for a stolen black 2006 Dodge Charger. It was determined that the Charger was the same vehicle that had brought Hamilton to the business on Blue Lakes Boulevard North the evening prior. Hamilton is alleged to have also taken the Charger on a test drive and not returned it to its owner.
A man, who went by the name Mike McNabb but has been identified as Hamilton, met with the owner of the Charger and was granted a test drive of the vehicle, according to a separate affidavit of probable cause.
As with the other case, Hamilton responded to several messages requesting he return the vehicle before ceasing communication.
A charge of conspiracy to commit grand theft has since been filed against Hamilton for the alleged theft of the Charger.
Hamilton’s criminal history is extensive, dating back to 2014, according to police reports. The 23-year-old’s record includes probation violations, multiple grand thefts, petit theft, injury to a child, injury to a jail, resisting and obstructing, forgery and eluding officers.
Should he be found guilty of grand theft, Hamilton would face one to 20 years in prison and fines up to $10,000 for each of the two charges.
Hamilton is currently in custody at the Bannock County Jail. He has yet to be scheduled for a preliminary hearing and does not have a bail set at this time.
Micole’s brother, Nathen Jay Hamilton, is also in custody in Bannock County, being held on charges of grand theft, possession of a bank transaction card and transferring a stolen vehicle.
The two are allegedly responsible for an armed robbery that took place two weeks ago on Yellowstone Avenue in Pocatello, though charges for that crime have yet to be filed.
