Revised 03/2017

BILLY J. WILLIAMS, OSB #901366

United States Attorney

District of Oregon

FRANK R. PAPAGNI, Jr., OSB #762788

Assistant United States Attorney

frank.papagni@usdoj.gov

405 E. 8th Avenue, Suite 2400

Eugene, OR 97401

Telephone: (541) 465-6771

Facsimile: (541) 465-6917

Attorneys for United States of America

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

DISTRICT OF OREGON

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

v.

SCOTT ANTHONY SHIPMAN,

Defendant.

6:15-CR-00345-MC

UNITED STATES’ SENTENCING 

MEMORANDUM

Sentencing Date: June 29, 2017 at 1:00 pm

The United States of America, by and through United States Attorney for the District of 

Oregon, Billy J. Williams, and Frank R. Papagni, Jr., Assistant United States Attorney, 

respectfully submit the following sentencing memorandum to assist the Court in imposing a 

reasonable sentence which is sufficient but not greater than necessary for this Defendant who 

received, altered, used and hid a stolen BLM tractor with the assistance of his son, Sky Shipman, 

a recidivist. 

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UNITED STATES’ SENTENCING MEMORANDUM Page 2

18 U.S.C. § 3553

Nature and Circumstances of Offense and Defendant’s History and Characteristics

On February 16, 2017, Defendant pled guilty to knowingly receiving, retaining and 

concealing stolen government property, a BLM John Deere tractor. PSR ¶¶ 1-2. 

At about 1:00 am on April 13, 2015, at the request of Defendant’s son, Sky Shipman, 

Larry Larson stole the tractor from a BLM facility in Marcola, Lane County, Oregon, and 

delivered it at about 5:30 am to Defendant and Sky Shipman at their residence in near Wolf 

Creek, Josephine County, Oregon. 

While serving time in an Oregon prison for drug trafficking and theft crimes, Sky 

Shipman met Larry Larsen. Larsen had fourteen felony convictions for various crimes including 

drug trafficking, aggravating thefts, burglaries, and possessing stolen vehicles. He had stolen 

more than a million dollars of logging equipment, vehicles and fuel. 

Upon his release from Oregon prison, Larsen joined up with another felon he met in 

prison, Troy Herring, and they resumed their criminal careers by stealing vehicles and a boat, 

using and distributing methamphetamine and possessing firearm. Herring had twenty felony 

convictions for various crimes including drug trafficking, aggravated thefts, possession of stolen 

vehicles, criminally negligent homicide and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On October 

31, 2016, Herring was sentenced to 5 years in prison by Judge Aiken for, again, being a felon in 

possession of a firearm.

Larsen modified vehicles stolen or exchanged for methamphetamine at a shop he rented 

in Springfield, Oregon, and stored them on Herring’s friend’s rural property in Linn County. 

In March 2015, Defendant discussed with Sky Shipman getting a John Deere tractor and 

having Larsen steal one. At Larsen’s shop, deputies would later find a Fresno Bee newspaper 

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UNITED STATES’ SENTENCING MEMORANDUM Page 3

with an insert for tractors which displayed a John Deere tractor almost identical to the one Larsen 

stole. 

On April 13, 2017, Larsen stole a John Deere tractor and trailer from the BLM facility in 

Marcola, Oregon, and using a truck he stole from a car lot in Linn County, hauled it to the 

property in Josephine County where Defendant and Sky Shipman resided. Sky Shipman 

exchanged the stolen tractor for a Land Cruiser he previously purchased for $500 and drugs. 

Defendant and Sky Shipman helped Larsen unloaded the tractor from a trailer and remove all the 

BLM markings. 

Defendant used the “new tractor he just purchased” to do gravel road work for Roger 

Schulz. But, when Defendant and Sky Shipman learned they were suspects, they hid the tractor 

on a mining claim eleven miles from the Defendant’s property in Sunny Valley. One of the 

mining claimants was Defendant’s father. Citizens found the tractor on June 12, 2015, and it 

was later returned to BLM.

While Defendant’s involvement in the actual theft was limited, he was the crime’s sole

beneficiary. He was arrested on August 25, 2015, and released on August 27, 2015. Completing 

a six-month drug treatment program in April 2016, he resumed using methamphetamine and was 

back in custody on September 15, 2016. Released on September 27, 2016, he went to a 

residential reentry center and completed an outpatient drug program in March 2017.

The 61-year old Defendant was arrested at age 50 for driving under the influence of drugs 

(methamphetamine). PSR ¶ 37. Four years later, he was convicted of possessing 

methamphetamine. PSR ¶ 38. On May 8, 2017, “On Track” reported that Defendant 

successfully completed drug treatment. PSR ¶ 55. On June 27, 2017, Defendant denied and 

then admitted using marijuana.

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Defendant reportedly has a truck driving job with Blake Transportation and assists in the 

care of his 81-year old father. 

Seriousness of Offense, Promote Respect for the Law and Provide Just Punishment

The theft of the tractor and trailer led to the breakup of an intrastate vehicle/boat theft 

ring (Linn, Lane Benton, and Josephine counties), discovery of drug trafficking activities and 

felons in possession of firearms. Larsen was sentenced to 108 months in prison. Herring was 

sentenced to 5 years in prison. Sky Shipman, suffering from what is likely terminal cancer, 

received a sentence of credit for time served in custody. Amanda Taylor, Larsen’s 

girlfriend/accomplice whose role was limited to painting the stolen BLM trailer and being with 

Larsen as he transported stolen vehicles, was sentenced to 1 month imprisonment. Trevor 

Swafford is to be sentenced in August for also painting the stole BLM trailer and aiding Larsen’s 

theft of a truck from a car dealership in Albany, Oregon.

When viewed only as the receipt and concealment of a stolen tractor, the seriousness of 

the crime is low. However, Defendant’s complicity in the resumption of his son’s criminal 

career is considerably more serious. The boldness of Defendant ordering the theft of government 

property and attempt to disguise and hide it supports his serving a 3-year term of probation 

accompanied by 6 months of community confinement and payment of $385 in restitution.

Afford Adequate Deterrence and Protection of the Community

Sky Shipman’s illness should prevent Defendant from again assisting in the continuation 

of Sky’s lengthy career of theft and drug trafficking in Josephine County. Defendant having a 

probation officer and the awareness of the incarcerative consequences of noncompliance should 

also provide assurance he will not reoffend. Less certain is the potential for his relapsing into 

methamphetamine abuse as the stresses of a job, and his son’s illness, and care for his elderly 

father increase. 

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UNITED STATES’ SENTENCING MEMORANDUM Page 5

Needed Educational, Employment and Substance Abuse Treatment

While encouraged by Defendant’s employment and likelihood he will be home every 

night, the USAO is concerned as in the past, he may resort to methamphetamine usage. See PSR 

¶ 53. For the public’s safety, Defendant must participate in substance abuse treatment and be 

subject to regular unannounced drug testing.

Advisory Sentencing Guidelines 

The Probation Office and parties agree Defendant’s total offense level is 10. PSR ¶¶ 6-7, 

23-34. However, the parties mistakenly concluded Defendant’s 2007 driving under the influence 

of drugs conviction would not score a Criminal History point. Accordingly, U.S. Probation 

Officer Frolichman correctly determined Defendant’s Criminal History category to be II for an 

advisory sentencing guideline range of 8 to 14 months imprisonment. PSR ¶¶ 63-64. 

Recommendation

The USAO concurs with the recommendation of U.S. Probation Officer Frolichman for 3 

years of probation with 6 months home detention and payment of $385 in restitution. The 

USAO supports all the general and special conditions of supervision recommend by U.S. 

Probation Officer Frolichman. Given the criminal relationship Defendant has shared for years 

with his son, the USAO supports his having contact only with permission of his probation 

officer. 

DATED this 27th day of June, 2017.

BILLY J. WILLIAMS

United States Attorney

/s/ Frank R. Papagni, Jr. 

FRANK R. PAPAGNI, OSB #762788

Assistant United States Attorney

(541) 465-6771

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