Charges filed, details revealed regarding Pocatello home invasion robbery

POCATELLO — A Pocatello man has been charged with seven felonies in connection to a March 5 home invasion robbery.

Ridge Alban Parsons, 31, faces felony charges for unlawful possession of a firearm, armed robbery and burglary, court records show. He also faces two counts of grand theft, and two counts of possession of a stolen bank card.

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More details on the specifics of the robbery are listed below in chronological order.

March 6

Officers with the Pocatello Police Department were contacted around 7:45 p.m. by a man who claimed to have been robbed the night prior, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

When officers first spoke with the man at his home on South 6th Avenue, he said that he did not know who was responsible for the theft. He reported that a motorcycle, motorcycle battery and an assortment of tools — a total value of around $1,070 — had been taken.

The victim told officers that he had gone to a concert that night and returned home around 3 a.m. He said he went to sleep, and when he woke up he found the items were missing, the affidavit says.

After a witness told an officer that Parsons had been at the home on the night in question, the victim changed his story, saying he had spoken with Parsons when he returned home and that Parsons and two unidentified individuals had taken the motorcycle. The victim told officers that Parsons was carrying a black semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine at the time of the incident.

The victim said that Parsons demanded the keys, title and battery for the motorcycle. He said he did not discover the missing tools until the following day.

While officers were speaking with the victim, he received a call from a person he believed to be Parsons.

Officers had the victim speak with Parsons on speaker.

The victim was told by police to mention being scared to Parsons, to which Parsons responded, “I had to scare you to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Parsons then told the victim that he informed “the people he worked for” that he had taken everything from the victim and beaten him up. Parsons told the victim to have someone punch him in the eye to make the story “more believable.”

March 8

Officers contacted a second witness who was present during the alleged incident.

The witness told officers that they returned to the home with the victim. When they entered the home, they found a man identified to them as “Cowboy” inside the living room with a gun, the affidavit says. Officers were able to identify “Cowboy” as Parsons. The witness told officers that the man was holding a gun at the time — and described a black semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine.

After being forced into the kitchen, the witness was brought into a bedroom by the other witness. In the bedroom, the second witness reported hearing the victim speak with “Cowboy,” but said they could not hear what was being said.

The victim later informed both witnesses that Parsons had taken the motorcycle, with the title. The witnesses told officers they did not believe the victim gave Parsons the motorcycle willingly.

March 11

Pocatello police, the Pocatello street crimes unit, Pocatello narcotics unit and deputies from the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at Parson’s home.

Prior to serving the search warrant, officers noted someone they believed to be Parsons leaving the home on an ATV. Officers monitored him as the warrant was served and home was searched.

During the search, officers found a black Taurus 9mm handgun with a 25-round magazine — it was loaded at the time of discovery — believed to be the one described by the witness.

The serial number on the firearm was searched and officers discovered that the firearm had been reported stolen in November.

Prior to the search, officers looked into Parson’s criminal history and found he had been convicted of previous firearms-related charges and was prohibited from possessing any firearms.

Officers also found what was tested and returned a presumptive positive for marijuana during the search. The marijuana weighed a total of 22.21 grams, according to the affidavit.

Officers also discovered a syringe containing a clear liquid and several drug paraphernalia items. All presumed drugs were sent to the Idaho State Police forensics center for testing.

As the search continued, officers found numerous other items that included the names of other potential victims — checkbooks, ID cards, bank cards, social security cards and medication bottles were among those items.

Several of the items located in the home were linked to previously reported robberies and thefts. In some of those thefts and robberies, the suspect had been named by victims as “Cowboy.”

Surveilling officers conducted a traffic stop on the ATV seen leaving the home prior to the search and identified the driver as Parsons. He was arrested and taken to the Pocatello police station for questioning. However, once there he requested a lawyer and could not be questioned.

He was instead transported to Bannock County Jail and booked and is currently being held.

His bond, originally set at $250,000, was lowered to $100,000 on March 14 by Oneida County Magistrate Judge David Hooste.

Although Parsons has been charged with these crimes, it does not mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

If he is found guilty, Parsons would face a potential life sentence and up to $215,000 in fines.