YOUR AD HERE »

Mathers bartender thwarts Monday night quarter heist

Craig police arrested a young man and are searching for another after a burglary at Mathers Bar.

Brandon Tucker Deshazer, 22, of Clifton, was arrested on a felony charge of second-degree burglary and misdemeanor charges of theft, and second-degree criminal trespass.

According to an arrest affidavit compiled by Craig Police Department Officer Jeffrey Bond, police responded to Mathers bar early Tuesday morning just after midnight to find Mathers’ lead bartender, Cheyenne Hansen, who told police two men stole a five-gallon bucket full of loose quarters.



“Hansen had waited on them throughout her shift,” the affidavit states, adding the two men apparently left their names and pictures on the bartender’s phone.

Hansen went on to tell police what happened, saying she caught Deshazer’s alleged accomplice stuffing his pockets near the pool tables.



The second suspect’s name is being withheld due to an active warrant out for his arrest.

Hansen told police the two men left quickly, so she checked the office area to find it had been ransacked.

“Hansen checked the office,” the affidavit said. “Hansen discovered that in an unsecure metal file cabinet behind the desk, a metal gallon bucket that had been full of loose quarters was now missing.”

Hansen said the two men stole almost $800 worth of quarters and walked out on a bar tab worth close to $200.

“I went back there to get ice, and I kinda knew things were moved around,” Hansen said Wednesday, adding the two men saw themselves being recorded on surveillance inside the bar’s office.

The affidavit said the unnamed suspect returned to the bar but quickly left once Hansen told him she had called police.

“Hansen stated (the suspect) was dropping quarters as he walked out,” the affidavit said.

Police later caught up to Deshazer at a traffic stop where he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence. Police said that’s when they found a jacket with what appeared to be a large number of coins inside.

“I found the coat to be very heavy,” an officer said in the affidavit. “As I began to lift the coat, I hear what sounded like coins moving in the jacket. I felt a large amount of coins, consistent with the amount found in a gallon-sized bucket, in the front pocket of the jacket that I believed to be quarters.”

Hansen had a message for any would-be quarter thieves.

“Please don’t take my quarters,” Hansen said. “That was a lot of quarters. The video of him is funny — him trying to pull his pants up. Hopefully with all those quarters, he bought a new belt.”

Deshazer was booked into the Moffat County Jail and later released Aug. 13 on a $2,000 public recognizance bond. Deshazer’s next court appearance will be Sept. 24 at 8:30 a.m. in Judge Sandra Gardner’s Moffat County Court number two.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Craig and Moffat County make the Craig Press’ work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.