Perham man sentenced in federal vehicle-theft spree across state lines
A Perham man was sentenced after prosecutors tied him to an armed Fargo carjacking, a stolen semitruck and seven other vehicles in a 12-day spree.
Nathaniel Thomas Smith of Perham was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Friday, May 29. The federal case stemmed from a 12-day vehicle-theft spree that reached from Fargo into Minnesota and left businesses, workers and insurers with more than $150,000 in losses. The case centered on an armed carjacking of a Snow & Lawn Dynamics crew and a string of stolen vehicles moved across state lines.
Smith had already pleaded guilty on Jan. 5, 2026, to robbery and eight counts of interstate transportation of stolen vehicles before Chief Judge Peter Welte. Federal prosecutors said the most serious episode came on Sept. 8, 2025, when Smith brandished a firearm at employees of Snow & Lawn Dynamics while they were working in Fargo, stole a motor vehicle and trailer, and caused more than $20,000 in losses to the business.
The thefts did not stop there. Prosecutors tied Smith to a white 2013 GMC Sierra, a blue 2006 Dodge Ram, a red 2003 Chevy Silverado, a black 2019 Chevy Silverado, a gray 2024 Ford Maverick, a white 2014 Chrysler Town & Country van and a white 2020 Kenworth semi tractor truck. He also admitted to taking vehicles investigators had not previously connected to him when federal agents interviewed him.
Smith was arrested on state charges on Sept. 12, 2025. After his arrest, prosecutors said he directed someone during a recorded jail call to remotely wipe a phone, which added an obstruction enhancement to the case. The government calculated a combined offense level of 27 under the federal guidelines and agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the guideline range.
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