Sheriff’s wife awarded restitution in Oklahoma horse theft case

MIAMI, Okla. — An Ottawa County man has been ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution after admitting he sold a horse belonging to the wife of the county sheriff without permission, according to court records.

Chance Coburn Bilke, 35, of Quapaw, pleaded guilty April 7 to an embezzlement charge stemming from the disappearance of an American Quarter Horse named Lize. Under the terms of his sentence, Bilke received a one‑year deferred sentence and was ordered to compensate the horse’s owner, Kimberly Dean, court documents show.

Dean, who is married to Ottawa County Sheriff Jeremy Floyd, testified during a preliminary hearing that she lent the horse to Bilke temporarily. When she later asked for the animal to be returned, Bilke told her the horse had died, according to testimony presented in court.

Prosecutors said Bilke later acknowledged the account was false and admitted he had sold the horse. He told authorities he could not recall who purchased it. The horse has not been recovered and is believed to have been sold somewhere in northwest Arkansas, according to testimony.

In addition to restitution, Bilke was ordered by the court to write a letter of apology to Dean’s grandchildren for falsely telling them the horse had died.

Court records also reference a social media post made during the search for the missing horse. In that post, Lize was described as a rescue horse with a distinctive cowlick, details shared publicly to locate the animal, according to testimony cited in the case.

The case was handled in Ottawa County District Court.

Sources:
– Ottawa County District Court records
– Reporting by Sheila Stogsdill for KSNF/KODE, published via AOL News (April 17, 2026)