Whitefish man admits to stealing thousands in fly fishing gear

A Whitefish man who already had pleaded guilty to felony charges of robbery and burglary in two prior cases has pleaded guilty to felony theft in a new case.

Leonard Bowen Jr., 34, acquired the new conviction after stealing three fly fishing rods valued at $775 each, three fly rods valued at $500 each and three additional rods of unknown value, roughly $2,500 worth of flies, and other fishing equipment from an Eagle Bend Drive home near Bigfork.

Some of the gear later was located at several pawn shops, which led police to a woman who said she pawned some of the rods after receiving them from Bowen.

According to a court document, Bowen gave permission for his vehicle to be searched and a detective located the box of flies in the truck. Bowen claimed they were his. Both he and the woman blamed the other for the burglary, but each confessed to pawning and possessing stolen property.

A search warrant later led to the discovery of two of the stolen rods and two stolen fishing nets in Bowen’s home.

Bowen previously entered into a plea agreement involving three cases, which brought his conviction on the robbery and burglary charges. He had also been charged with felony theft in the burglary case, but that charge was dismissed.

Another case including charges of felony burglary and two counts of felony theft was dismissed in its entirety.

The plea agreement stated that the Flathead County Attorney’s Office would then recommend a total sentence of 10 years in prison followed by 10 years, suspended, for his two convictions. He faces a maximum additional sentence of 10 years in prison for the new conviction, and a total fine of up to $150,000 across all three cases.

A sentencing hearing has been set for Sept. 12.