A transient Kalispell man, Jeremy Lentz, has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the theft of a pickup truck — after he was convicted of trying to steal a vehicle from another car lot less than a half mile away earlier this year.

According to a court document, Lentz, 18, and Charles Rose, 18, were approached by Lake County deputies on Oct. 13 after their pickup truck ran out of gas on Ravalli Hill.

The deputies, believing the truck had been stolen from Mark Weed Auto Sales in Kalispell, contacted the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office.

The document states that Rose told one of the Lake County deputies that Lentz had broken out a window at the business and told him to stay outside and watch for police. Lentz allegedly grabbed keys inside and threw them out the window before taking a battery charger and putting it in the back of the truck.

The pair then allegedly left the area in the stolen truck, visited various businesses, and were heading south with Rose driving when they ran out of gas.

Lentz allegedly gave two versions of what happened to the Lake County deputy and provided no information about where the truck came from, but did admit he had been at the car lot.

A Flathead County deputy visited the car lot and confirmed that a large window had been broken. The stolen truck, a 2003 Ford F-150, had a listed value of $8,500.

Lentz is not only facing possible penalties in the truck theft case, but also the possible revocation of his probation in two prior cases, including a conviction for felony burglary after trying to steal a vehicle from the Montana Auto Sales lot — less than a half mile away from Mark Weed Auto Sales — on Feb. 26.

He pleaded guilty to that charge and to a separate charge of misdemeanor bail jumping and was given a total three-year deferred sentence for both convictions on Aug. 7. He was also ordered to pay $28 in restitution, a fine of $500 and a surcharge of $235.

If that sentence is revoked and he is convicted in the new case, Lentz faces up to 33 years in prison.

Rose was charged with felony counts of accountability to burglary and theft, while Lentz was charged with felony counts of burglary and theft. If convicted of all their charges, each faces up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $100,000 and any necessary restitution.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.