Investigation leads to arrest of Wyoming man on six felonies
Patrice Bumstead
Farmer Editor
Timothy Child, 53, of Gillette, Wyo., is facing a Class A Felony for forgery - over $50,000; and five Class B Felony charges for attempted theft, two counts of deceptive writings, and two counts of unauthorized use of personal identifying information following his arrest on June 6, 2025.
According to documents filed with the Northwest Judicial District the McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office received a report of vandalism and possible burglary on Dec. 12, 2025.
Upon arrival, the reporting party Charles Aasen informed the deputies he believed Child broke into a building he owned in Alexander, N.D.
He stated that Child had previously attempted to purchase the property through a fraudulent transaction.
During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Child knowingly took unauthorized control over the rights to the building that Aasen owns and attempted to sell the rights to the building or the building materials themselves using a knowingly deceptive and fraudulent contract based on forged documents and false statements.
On or about Nov. 12, 2024, Child approached Aaasen as the owner/caretaker of the property and inquired about buying the building on behalf of a project sponsored or funded by grants from McKenzie County.
Child attempted to enter into an agreement on behalf of a charity who he claimed was looking for a building to make into a battered woman’s shelter.
Investigators discovered that Child claimed to be working on behalf of a federally registered 501c3 non-profit organization. During negotiations, an agreement was made that the building was to be disassembled from the Aasen property and sent to either Minnesota or South Dakota to be reassembled.
For the full story, visit www.watfordcitynd.com and subscribe to the McKenzie County Farmer today!