Whitefish man picks up felony charge for failing to return rental truck

A Whitefish man who rented a box truck for a day and then hung onto it for more than a week is now facing a felony theft charge in Flathead County District Court.  

Scott Allen Walters, 47, was expected to appear before Judge Amy Eddy on April 2 for his arraignment but skipped out on the hearing. Eddy issued a bench warrant for his arrest that same day.  

Walters rented the box truck from a U.S. 2 business on March 5 and paid in cash, according to court documents. After 11 days passed without the vehicle's return, employees contacted the Flathead County Sheriff's Office and turned over the driver's license Walters allegedly used during the transaction, which deputies later learned belonged to a dead person. 

The phone number and home address Walters gave the business also turned out to be fake, court documents said.  

About an hour after the Sheriff's Office began investigating the missing box truck, one of the business' employees reported seeing it parked at a Kalispell grocery store. Deputies confronted a woman in the truck, who said she was unaware the vehicle was listed as stolen. From her, deputies learned that Walters was still inside the store.  

Although Walters allegedly tried to slip deputies, they arrested him inside the supermarket. Searching him, they found store merchandise hidden in his pants, court documents said.  

Under questioning, Walters allegedly admitted that the vehicle was due back at the rental company and acknowledged using a dead person's driver's license. He said he found the driver's license in a park, according to court documents.  

Deputies also served Walters with a $2,000 contempt warrant out of Flathead County Justice Court. 

In the charging documents, prosecutors noted that Walters is under investigation by the Kalispell Police Department in connection with a string of thefts from a big box home improvement store amounting to about $5,000.  

If convicted, Walters faces up to 10 years behind bars and a $50,000 fine. 

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 406-758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.