Whatcom man allegedly stole gun safe to trade for drugs he planned to sell for profit
One of two men arrested after reportedly being found dragging a pair of stolen safes down a road near a Ferndale self-storage facility is suspected of playing a role in a theft of more than $20,000 worth of guns, paychecks and a Harley Davidson motorcycle last August in Bellingham.
Wendell Lee Davidson, 35 of Deming, was booked Wednesday, Nov. 4., by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office on outstanding warrants of out Bellingham for first-degree burglary, first-degree theft and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Deputies later added probable cause against Davidson for second-degree burglary stemming from the reported theft Wednesday of two safes during a burglary at the Grandview Business Park and booked Tyler Curran Ray Fehlman, 33 of Bellingham, into jail on suspicion of second-degree burglary.
Davidson’s charges out of Bellingham stem from an incident at 8:26 p.m. Aug. 22, when a victim reported a burglary to his residence in the 3000 block of Alderwood Avenue, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
The investigation into that incident showed that Davidson and two others came to the victim’s house while the victim was not there and were likely let in by another person, Murphy reported. While there Davidson and the two others reportedly stole a gun safe with more than $10,000 worth of guns, $2,489 worth of paychecks and a 2010 Harley Davidson motorcycle valued at approximately $8,000.
Neighbors reported seeing a man riding off on the Harley, while another man, later identified as Davidson, and a woman drove off in a silver SUV, Murphy reported, adding that Davidson drives a Silver Kia SUV.
Bellingham police contacted Davidson about the burglary, and Murphy reported he admitted to a role in it, using his SUV to haul away the stolen gun safe.
Davidson got access to the guns and used them to trade for cash and a few ounces of drugs, which he planned to sell for profit, according to Murphy. He also reportedly used one of the stolen shotguns as payment to the person who hid the safe.
Davidson told police that he was aware the motorcycle was stolen, but insisted he did not take it, according to Murphy.
According to Whatcom County Superior Court records, Davidson has multiple previous convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle, residential burglary, forgery, theft of a motor vehicle, theft, unlawful issuance of checks and burglary, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm.
Following Wednesday’s arrests of Davidson and Fehlman, deputies served search warrants on three storage units at the facility on Portal Way, sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater told The Herald in an email.
Deputies sized a “large amount of suspected property” from the units, Slater reported, and are currently inventorying those items. The case remains active.
