Hunter Nelson arrested for theft after police discover his latest scheme

Multiple Reports Suggest Hunter Nelson Stealing Trailers/RVs from Out of State Victims

The man behind the disappearance of Ollie the dog, along with numerous other dogs, was arrested on unrelated charges Tuesday, November 2, and booked into White County Jail.

Hunter Wade Nelson, 25, listed as residing in Heber Springs, was arrested by the White County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday morning. He was booked in jail at 1:01 AM. The charges listed were Theft of Property and an out of town warrant. He was released on a $10,000 bond at 10:16 AM, jail records show. The sheriff’s office confirmed to NEA Report they made the arrest. The incident report was still being completed by authorities. NEA Report submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for the report for when it is completed.

Nelson does not appear to be facing charges for the death and disappearance of numerous dogs under the guise of a training organization, which we extensively reported on. Instead, these charges stem from a new alleged scheme that involved the theft of at least one trailer/RV. Several online posts in RV groups on Facebook suggest that there may be multiple victims across several states.

A felony warrant was issued for Nelson’s arrest by the Searcy Police Department stemming from a report filed in June. The sales manager at Sunrise Marine Center reported to police that on May 6, Nelson purchased a 2021 Legion Craft 16′ Duck Boat, a Silver-Gray 2021 Yamaha 50 HP Outboard Boat Motor, and a black 2021 Diamond City Trailer. Nelson wrote a check for $18,627. The check was no good. The sales manager attempted to resolve the issue with Nelson but after over a month, reported the theft to police. Police investigated and a felony warrant for theft of property was issued for Nelson.

It appears to be his newest pattern of repeatedly scheming victims. In the past several days, NEA Report has learned of several others who say they were ripped off by Hunter Nelson.

In Wisconsin, a woman begged the public for help finding her stolen trailer after she said she leased the six-hole dog travel trailer to, “a man named Hunter Nelson.” She said he paid the first few months then stopped paying. Nelson’s excuses ranged from family issues, lost checks in the mail, wrong addresses, and his bank account being hacked. “Every excuse in the book,” the victim wrote in her post. Then, Nelson set up a location to meet her and give her back the trailer – but the location didn’t exist. The Marquette County Sheriff’s Department in Wisconsin worked this investigation. White County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to NEA Report that a warrant for Nelson’s arrest had also been issued in Wisconsin.

In Houston, Texas, a woman named Angie posted an RV Rental Scammer/Theft Alert detailing a similar story. She said she was contacted by Nelson who wanted to rent her RV for three months. She posted that he seemed nice and paid her half month’s rent in cash when he picked up the trailer. By the next week, she said he made all sorts of excuses about why he couldn’t pay, including that he didn’t know how to send her the money. Like many other victims of the perpetually dishonest Nelson, she learned he could not be trusted. (After our initial publication, she commented on the story that she is still searching for her trailer, seen in the featured photo above.)

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She never stopped looking for Ollie

Nelson first came to light after a story shared by Rachel Tyrer of Jonesboro. She had gone to him to train her dog Ollie but never saw her dog again. After months of lies that included taking her to a grave and showing her someone else’s dog he said was hers, Rachel sued Nelson. But the case dragged on without resolution, a grueling daily reminder of her missing companion.

“…she wanted closure.” said her attorney, Jared Woodard, through text on Monday (we began working on this story the day before Nelson was arrested).

A confidential settlement was reached between the two sides. Nelson surprisingly met the terms of the settlement and paid Tyrer as agreed, she said. Although this resolved the civil case, criminal charges could still be applicable if authorities find sufficient evidence to charge Nelson.