A Helena man was charged this week with stealing about 50 aluminum tire rims from a local tire dealer and selling them to another local business owner.

Travis Rice, 20, faces one count of felony theft for allegedly removing the rims from Eagle Tire's storage yard earlier this month, and assisting in the sale of the rims to Whalen Tire.

According to court documents, representative from Whalen Tire paid Rice and an alleged accomplice $550 for the stolen aluminum tire rims. Apparently the men said they got the rims from a car collector as scrap metal.

In fact, whoever took the rims gained access to Eagle Tire's storage yard by piling cinder blocks outside the fence. That allowed the suspect to pull down the barbed wire at the top of the fence and climb over it.

The employees at Whalen Tire said it wasn't the first time they had purchased rims from Rice and his accomplice. They said they had bought about 30 rims during the past month.

Court documents state that Whalen Tire also may have been a victim of theft. Employees there reported having eight aluminum rims -- including semi-truck rims -- stolen from their business through August and September.

Lewis and Clark County Attorney Leo Gallagher said additional charges are pending in the case.

Theft carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a $50,000 fine.