Webster Parish Sheriff’s investigators closed out a felony theft case Thursday with the arrests of two Webster Parish men. When an estimated $45,000 of XTO oil field pipe was reported missing from a Cotton Valley site, deputies followed leads straight to two Sarepta brothers.

 

Robert Kem Gryder, 33, was charged with felony theft and felony theft by fraud. His brother, Joshua Cain Gryder, 26, was charged with felony theft. Both were booked at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center on bond amounts of $30,000.00.

 

Webster investigators received information earlier in the month that large quantities of oil field pipe was “being shuffled around in the north end of the parish”, as case investigator Det. Tommy Kemp, Jr. put it.

 

“But at that time, we had no reports of any oil field pipe missing,” he said. “So when we got a report from XTO mid-month we already had leads to follow.”

 

Investigators Kemp and Capt. Jay Hortman quickly verified the tips which led them directly to the Gryder brothers. Further information secured an arrest warrant and with assistance from Bossier Sheriff’s investigators, Kem Gryder was picked up as a fugitive of Webster Parish from his Bossier employer. An interview with Kem implicated his brother as an accomplice. Josh Gryder was arrested Thursday and he offered a full confession of his involvement.

 

“We’ve recovered approximately 260 or so of the near 350 joints of pipe that were stolen,” said Kemp. “And we’re still looking for the rest.”

 

According to investigators, the pipe was sold as if it were legitimate, so people may have purchased the pipe without any suspicion of fraud.

 

Anyone with information about the remaining pipe should call Webster Parish authorities at 318-377-1515.