‘They perfected the scheme’: Caddo Co. DA files charges against teen who posed as PA, his wife, and father
APACHE, Okla. (KFOR) – The teen who posed as a Physician Assistant in Corpus Christi has been charged with several more crimes, along with his 16-year-old wife and 74-year-old father, according to Apache Police.
News 4 has been following the tale of 19-year-old Zachry Bailey since the summer.
Bailey pleaded guilty in 2022 to acting as a Physician Assistant without a license in Corpus Christi. He was given a 6-year deferred adjudication.
Bailey’s probation was later transferred to Oklahoma where he has lived for the last several months.
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In his time in Oklahoma, Bailey has made his way through the court system. He has cases in Oklahoma County, Tulsa County, and Comanche County.
As of last week, Bailey was facing half a dozen obtaining property by deception charges.
He currently sits in the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a $200,000 bond.
“There’s some stuff that I’ve done, yes. I mean, you know about that. You know, the stuff I’m being held on for is actually accidental stuff or civil stuff,” Bailey told KFOR at the end of September.
News 4 has spoken with Bailey several times over the phone since August. Since the first phone call, Bailey has maintained his innocence.
However, he admitted to KFOR he had committed “some stuff.”
Bailey was arrested at his father’s Apache home in August.
“Over the course of the investigation, pretty much one day led us to another,” said Lehew.
A Caddo County probable cause affidavit reveals Apache Police have interviewed three potential victims. One appears to be from Ohio, another from Texas, and one from Oklahoma who News 4 has previously interviewed.
In each case, court documents show Bailey paid for a car with money that was later returned as fraudulent.
Lehew said he’s working to find concrete evidence, but he has been informed of Bailey using a forged letter from a bank to show as proof he had money.
“I think based on that letter being presented to these various financial companies, that’s what made them either pay off the vehicle or show it as paid,” added Lehew. “Then when the funds were going to be collected, it looked like there was no funds there. So therefore, they recall all the transactions and the owner subsequently reported the vehicles as stolen.”
As Bailey first sat in the Oklahoma County Detention Center, an affidavit claims his 16-year-old wife and father dropped off a vehicle at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City in an attempt to sell it for a part of Bailey’s bond money.
“On August 15th, 2023, [Bailey’s teenage wife] drove the 2023 Toyota Camry HV to the Oklahoma City Will Rogers Airport to dispose of the vehicle by selling the vehicle. Subject #3 Phillip Gerald Bailey, followed [Bailey’s teenage wife] in his vehicle to provide [Bailey’s teenage wife] a ride back home… after selling the vehicle to the new owner,” court records read. “[Phillip Bailey] was fully aware of what was transpiring regarding the sale of a vehicle that [Phillip Bailey] was confident was fraudulently obtained by both [Zachry Bailey] and [Bailey’s teenage wife]. Despite these beliefs, [Phillip Bailey] still fully and willingly assisted with the illegal sale of a vehicle that was actually stolen.”
Court documents also reveal Bailey’s wife had contact with multiple alleged victims.
“I don’t believe for a moment that her or his father are innocent in any part of this. They are part of the conspiracy to commit the crimes that were committed,” said Lehew.
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The probable cause affidavit also accuses Bailey and his wife of taking part in a “chop shop” ring.
“Based on the voluminous evidence obtained through this investigation, this affiant believes that there is sufficient probable cause exists to criminally charge Zachry Brent Bailey a/k/a Zachry Brent, [Bailey’s teenage wife] and Phillip Gerald Bailey with the various intentional violations of Oklahoma Criminal State Statutes in which all 3 persons created, conspired, and engaged in overt acts to scheme and defraud persons of money and vehicles,” an affidavit reads.
Apache Police have recommended Bailey’s teen wife face charges, including:
21 O.S. § 1715 – Brings stolen property into State.47 O.S. § 4-103 – Receives, possesses, conceals, sells, or disposes a stolen or converted vehicle.
21 O.S. § 421(C) – conspiracy to commit felony
21 O.S. § 1958 – Communicates with, stores data in, or retrieve data from a computer system for the purpose of violating provisions of the Oklahoma Statutes.
21 O.S. § 1953(A)(2) – Uses computer, computer system, or computer network in order to defraud or extort money, property or services by false pretense.
21 O.S. § 1541.2 – With intent to cheat and defraud, obtains any money, property or valuable thing of a value $1,000 or more by means of trick or deception, false statement, instruments or device called “confidence game”, false or bogus checks, or other printed instrument
“Putting all those pieces together… It became very clear about how this operation was working,” said Lehew.
Because Bailey’s wife is a minor, News 4 is unable to access any court documents regarding her charges.
The Apache Police Department said it has evidence indicating Bailey’s teen wife initiated some unlawful actions and followed Bailey’s orders though. The Apache Police Department confirmed with KFOR charges have been filed against her.
News 4 asked if Bailey’s teen wife could be tried as an adult in this case.
“I’m not sure because there’s like 13 crimes in the state of Oklahoma that allow a juvenile to be charged as an adult and I don’t think white collar crimes is going to be one of them,” stated Lehew.
If she is found guilty, Lehew said she could spend time in a juvenile detention center.
Bailey has been charged with:
Knowingly receiving stolen property
Conspiracy to commit a felony
Computer fraud/unlawful use of computer/system
Obtaining property by false pretense
“Most of the stuff I’m in here for isn’t even the stuff I’ve done,” said Bailey. “There’s just so many things they’re trying to throw at me.”
News 4 has asked Bailey about the potential of these charges sticking and he said, “I’m not saying that that’s not right but I’m saying that also at the same time the crime had to be committed in Apache and being that [Bailey and his teenage wife] were only there for two days, I think it proves otherwise.”
Bailey’s father, Phillip has been charged with:
Knowingly receiving stolen property
Conspiracy to commit a felony
Computer fraud/unlawful use of computer/system
Obtaining property by false pretense
Causing, aiding, abetting or encouraging minor to become in need of supervision or dependent or neglected
Phillip Bailey turned himself into the Caddo County Detention Center on Saturday, according to Lehew.
He was previously arrested by Apache Police for harboring his son in August.
Lehew believes there are more victims out there.
“It looks like we may be on to an interstate car theft ring and a possible chop shop operation,” explained Lehew. “I’m not shocked because they’ve perfected this operation. They perfected the scheme, if you will, and I think that they have done nothing but gotten better at it. And, you know, when you look at the dealerships they’ve victimized and individuals they’ve victimized literally, as I said earlier, you know, larger dealerships were victimized. Regular people on the street didn’t stand a chance. These people, they moved on them so fast and took their money and took their belongings so quickly. By the time all the dust settled, they didn’t know what happened.”
As of August, the U.S. Secret Service was also investigating Bailey.
One of the alleged victims News 4 has previously interviewed showed KFOR an email from an agent confirming their investigation.
That victim said the U.S.S.S. agent told her Bailey, his wife, and his father were all being investigated for wire fraud.
“The difference between what I was doing and a wire are two completely different things. I think that’s why they haven’t picked up on it so let’s just hope that they don’t,” said Bailey.
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According to the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office inmate search, Phillip Bailey has bonded out. Bailey is still in the Oklahoma County Detention Center and his wife has not been arrested as of Tuesday morning, according to Lehew.
Bailey’s wife called News 4 Tuesday morning asking about charges and an arrest warrant. She called Apache Police shortly after inquiring about the same topic, but was directed to the Caddo County District Attorney’s Office.
News 4 reached out to the Caddo County District Attorney both Monday and Tuesday, but never heard back.
News 4 has requested Bailey’s recorded phone calls while he was in the Caddo County Detention Center. Those recordings were requested almost a month ago through the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office under the Freedom of Information Act.
Despite several emails to the Caddo County Sheriff, the recordings have not been released to News 4 as of Tuesday. There are 42 recordings, according to a probable cause affidavit.
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