BOZEMAN MONT. — A Bozeman man is facing felony burglary charges after allegedly taking more than $11,000 from his former employer’s safe.
After he was arrested, the man told investigators he needed the money to pay for his wife’s vehicle payment, phone bill and his child’s daycare.
“I’ve been a cop for a long time and a lot of time when people are desperate, they don’t steal this much money," says Officer Jessie Holton, Bozeman Police Department.
Timothy Heizer, 40, is accused of entering the manager’s office in the Town Pump at Baxter Lane in Bozeman at 7:10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019.
According to charging documents, Heizer then turned off the lights and removed money from the store’s secured safe.
“He knew where the employee restricted area was and this place was not monitored when business is busy," Holton says. “He did use some of it to pay bills but, at the same time, we’re still missing a significant amount.”
Heizer was last employed at the Town Pump in July 2019.
Heizer was reportedly captured on store surveillance cameras removing two bank bags of money from the safe, exiting the store and left alone in a vehicle.
Later in the day, officers located Heizer’s vehicle parked at his last known address. While conducting surveillance, officers observed the man drive away from the home. When officers tried to stop his vehicle, Heizer initially refused to stop and proceeded to speed away, reaching speeds of 70 mph.
Heizer was stopped and taken into custody at 10:23 p.m.
During questioning, Heizer said he needed the money to pay bills and stole from this former employer.
Detectives later when to Heizer’s residence and recovered two bank bags that reportedly contained some of the remaining cash from Town Pump.
"I deal with some of the guys who come in as transients and I watch them get transitional housing and make it on their feet so even if you are on hard times, you don’t need to steal," Holton says. “Bozeman is a place that has resources and it doesn’t take much to reach out.”
Heizer could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted and his bond was set at $25,000.
His next court appearance is set for Dec. 6, 2019.
