Car thief pleads guilty

A man admitted on Wednesday in Flathead District Court to hot-wiring and stealing a van.

Stephen James Dray pleaded guilty to felony theft as part of a plea agreement where another felony theft charge was dropped for being in possession of three other vehicles.

Dray admitted he had a hot-wired van that was reported stolen on Sept. 12. According to court documents, he told deputies he used a screwdriver to hot-wire the vehicle. He was released on Sept. 25 on his own recognizance.

Dray was booked back into jail three days later after he was allegedly found in possession of three stolen vehicles at the Hilltop Motel. The vehicles were reported stolen on Sept. 26 from a dealer lot on U.S. 2 in Kalispell.

Dray admitted at an earlier hearing for bond reduction that he had been charged and convicted of theft in several cases in Flathead Valley for stealing food and shoplifting. He said that he had been in the valley for about a year.

Dray will be sentenced on Sept. 14.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinterlake.com.