CJ-2020-58 - Dale Shelton v. Brian Cunningham

What's This Case About?

Let’s cut right to the chase: a man in failing health handed over the titles to three of his trucks — yes, three — to his caregivers so they could technically insure them for his medical rides, only to get punched in the face by one of them and then realize his entire life had been quietly looted like a scene from a low-budget heist movie. This isn’t Grey’s Anatomy. This is Grifters Anonymous.

Meet Dale Shelton, a resident of Garfield County, Oklahoma, who — by his own telling — was in rough shape in early 2019. Not just emotionally or spiritually, but physically: he needed dialysis, which means regular trips to the hospital, and he’d been in three car accidents in quick succession. As a result, his insurance premiums had skyrocketed to a ludicrous $7,000 a year — more than many people pay for a year of rent. So, like any desperate human being trying to survive both illness and capitalism, he made a deal with the devil. Or, in this case, two people: Brian Cunningham and Melissa Aguilar.

The arrangement sounded sweet at first. Shelton would let Cunningham and Aguilar live in his house for free. In return, they’d drive him to his appointments, help him out, be his support system. A little quid pro quo, neighborly vibes, maybe some home-cooked meals. What could go wrong? Oh, only everything. But first — the insurance workaround. Since neither Shelton nor his new roommates could afford insurance under their own names, they cooked up a plan: put the vehicles in the caregivers’ names so they could get insurance on them, with Shelton paying the premiums out of pocket. It was a temporary shell game, a legal sleight of hand — like letting your cousin register your car so her clean driving record lowers the rate. Everyone agrees it’s your car. No real transfer. Just paperwork gymnastics.

Except then the gymnastics turned into a full-blown con.

Shelton claims he transferred titles to three trucks — two 2006 Chevys and a 2014 Dodge Ram — into the names of Cunningham and Aguilar, fully expecting to get them back when the caregiving gig ended. But instead of returning the trucks, the defendants allegedly treated them like their personal property. Cunningham allegedly took possession of the first Chevy and the Dodge Ram. Aguilar got her name on the second Chevy — and then, according to the filing, promised to pay Shelton $3,000 for it like some bizarre installment plan for a truck she was never supposed to own in the first place. Spoiler: she didn’t pay. Worse, she allegedly used that same truck as collateral for a loan from Red River Credit Corporation. So not only did Shelton lose control of his vehicle, but it’s now potentially tied up in someone else’s debt. The financial investment Shelton claims in that one truck alone — purchase price plus upgrades — is over $10,500. That’s not chump change when you’re on dialysis and living in rural Oklahoma.

And the theft didn’t stop at trucks. Oh no. This is where the plot thickens like expired gravy. Shelton says he was manipulated into paying over $4,000 in court fines and costs for Cunningham and Aguilar — people who, remember, were supposed to be helping him, not dragging him into their legal dumpster fires. Then, for the pièce de résistance, they allegedly stole his Capital One credit card and ran up $3,000 in unauthorized charges. Because why stop at trucks and court debt when you can also max out a dude’s credit?

And it gets pettier. They took his tablet — a $698 device he apparently still knows the exact price of — and won’t give it back. They also still have his handicap placard, which, let’s be real, is not exactly a hot black-market item, but is very important to someone who needs medical care and can’t walk far. Holding onto it is less “criminal masterstroke” and more “spiteful power move,” like refusing to return someone’s library card after a breakup.

But the grand finale? On August 2, 2019 — the day the whole house of cards collapsed — Brian Cunningham allegedly assaulted Shelton in his own home. No details, no context, just a blunt allegation: punch thrown, caregiving contract terminated by violence. The caregivers packed up and left. Shelton was left alone, injured, and — critically — vehicle-less, credit-damaged, and emotionally bruised.

Now he’s in court, asking for everything back. Not just money — though he’s seeking nearly $60,000 in total damages if you add it all up — but actual stuff. He wants the court to legally declare that those three trucks are his, not theirs. He wants the tablet returned, with the passcode. He wants his handicap placard like it’s a sacred relic. And yes, he wants $10,000 for being punched. Because apparently, in Garfield County, Oklahoma, you can sue someone for breaking your jaw and stealing your Wi-Fi hotspot.

Is $50,000 a lot for this mess? Honestly? For someone on dialysis, possibly on a fixed income, losing three vehicles, a credit line, and his dignity? It might not even cover the emotional toll. The trucks alone represent tens of thousands in value, not to mention the emotional security of mobility when you’re sick. The $4,000 in court fines? That’s like being forced to bail out your babysitter. The $3,000 in credit card charges? That’s another month of medical co-pays. This isn’t just about greed — it’s about survival.

So what’s the most absurd part? Is it the sheer volume of stuff taken? The fact that two caregivers turned a mercy mission into a full-scale asset strip? The idea that someone thought using a dying man’s truck as loan collateral was a good life choice? Or is it the handicap placard — the ultimate petty trophy, like stealing a parking pass from a hospital volunteer?

Look, we’re not saying Dale Shelton is a saint. The filing doesn’t tell us what he got out of this beyond rides — maybe the living situation was messy, maybe there were unspoken tensions. But the story as presented is a textbook case of exploiting vulnerability. You don’t move into someone’s home to “care” for them, take their vehicles, their money, their credit, their tablet, their parking permit, and then punch them on the way out unless you’ve fully embraced the role of villain.

We’re rooting for Shelton — not because he’s perfect, but because no one should have to fight this hard just to get their pickup truck and a piece of laminated cardboard back. And if justice has a sense of humor? Maybe the court orders Cunningham and Aguilar to return the handicap placard in person, on foot, while explaining — out loud — why stealing from sick people is bad.

But hey, we’re entertainers, not lawyers. Just don’t punch your patients. That’s the golden rule.

Case Overview

Petition

Jurisdiction

District Court, Oklahoma

Filing Attorney

Justin Lamunyon

Relief Sought

$1 Monetary

$0 Punitive

Injunctive Relief

Declaratory Relief

Plaintiffs

Dale Shelton individual
Rep: Justin Lamunyon

Defendants

Brian Cunningham individual
Melissa Aguilar individual

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	Quiet title to 2006 Chevrolet, VIN 2GCBC13V561340736	Plaintiff seeks to quiet title to a 2006 Chevrolet pickup
2	Quiet title to 2006 Chevrolet, VIN 2GCEC13T661168070	Plaintiff seeks to quiet title to a 2006 Chevrolet pickup
3	Quiet title to 2014 Dodge Ram, VIN 1C6RR6FT9ES101090	Plaintiff seeks to quiet title to a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup
4	Reimbursement of fines and costs	Plaintiff seeks reimbursement of $4,000 in fines and costs
5	Unauthorized credit card charges	Plaintiff seeks reimbursement of $3,000 in unauthorized credit card charges
6	Return of tablet	Plaintiff seeks return of a tablet
7	Return of handicap placard	Plaintiff seeks return of a handicap placard
8	Assault and battery	Plaintiff seeks damages for assault and battery

Petition Text

1,271 words

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF GARFIELD COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA Dale Shelton, Plaintiff, v. Brian Cunningham and Melissa Aguilar, Defendants. CJ-2020-58-03 PETITION Comes now, the Plaintiff, and for his claims against the Defendants, states as follows: 1. Plaintiff is an individual residing in Garfield County, Oklahoma. 2. Defendants Brian Cunningham and Melissa Aguilar are individuals residing in Garfield County, Oklahoma. 3. The facts giving rise to these claims occurred in Garfield County. 4. In January of 2019, the Plaintiff was in ill health and needed assistance for transportation for dialysis and other required activities. Due to 3 auto accidents in a short amount of time, the Plaintiff was placed in a high risk insured category, making his auto insurance premiums around $7,000 a year, which was financially impossible for the Plaintiff to afford. 5. The Defendants agreed to take care of the Plaintiff, transport him to his appointments and generally look after him. In exchange for their assistance, the Defendants would be allowed to live with the Plaintiff in the Plaintiff’s home free of charge. 6. This arrangement failed miserably, and ended on or about August 2, 2019, when the Defendant Cunningham physically assaulted the Plaintiff in the Plaintiff’s home and the Defendants moved out of the Plaintiff’s home and stopped providing an services to or for the Defendant. 7. In order for the Defendants to legally transport the Plaintiff by automobile, the vehicle had to have liability insurance policy in place. 8. Because Plaintiff was unable to afford auto insurance, and because the Defendants did not have auto insurance, the parties agreed that, in order to get insurance on the Plaintiff’s autos, the Plaintiff would put the vehicles in the Defendant’s name, then have the Defendants obtain liability coverage, and the Plaintiff would pay the insurance premiums during this time. 9. Neither party intended this activity to be a transfer of ownership of the vehicles, but was only for the convenience of the parties, to save money on auto insurance and would end when the Defendant’s care-giving assistance was no longer wanted or needed. 10. Pursuant to this agreement, the Plaintiff put the Defendant Cunningham on the title of the Plaintiff’s 2006 Chevrolet pickup, VIN 2GCBC13V561340736. 11. Pursuant to this agreement, the Plaintiff put the Defendant Aguilar’s name on the title of the Plaintiff’s 2006 Chevrolet pickup, VIN 2GCEC13T661168070. 12. Pursuant to this agreement, the Plaintiff put the Defendant Cunningham’s name on the title of the Plaintiff’s 2014 Dodge Ram pickup, VIN 1C6RR6FT9ES101090, when the vehicle in paragraph 10 above, became unusable. 13. During this time frame, the Plaintiff was manipulated into loaning the Defendant’s thousands of dollars for them to use to pay their court fines and court costs from their criminal cases. 14. During this time, the Defendant Aguilar agreed to pay the Plaintiff $3,000 for the pickup on which title, her name appears. 15. During this time, the Defendants stole the Plaintiff’s credit card and charged approximately $3,000 in unauthorized charges on the card. 16. During this time, the Defendants obtained possession of the Plaintiff’s computer tablet without his permission and have refused to return the tablet. 17. During this time, the Defendants had possession of the Plaintiff’s handicap placard and have refused to return it to the Plaintiff. Count 1: 2006 Chevrolet, VIN Ending in 0736 18. Plaintiff paid $14,500 for this pickup. 19. Defendant Cunningham has possession of this pickup and refuses to put the Plaintiff’s name on the title to this pickup and refuses to return possession to the Plaintiff. Wherefore, with respect to this vehicle, the Plaintiff prays for an order quieting the title to this vehicle in the Plaintiff’s name, and for an order directing that the Defendants surrender possession of this pickup to the Plaintiff, or alternatively, for a judgment against the Defendants for $14,500, and for attorney’s fees and costs and all further legal and equitable relief that the Court may deem justified. Count 2: 2006 Chevrolet, VIN Ending in 8070 20. Defendants have possession of this pickup and refuse to return pay the $3,000 she agreed to pay for it, and refuse to put Plaintiff’s name on the title and refuse to return possession of the pickup to the Plaintiff. 21. Plaintiff paid $6,000 for the truck and invested $4,562 in accessories to the truck. 22. The Defendants have pledged this pickup as collateral for a loan with Red River Credit Corporation. Wherefore, Plaintiff prays for an order quieting title to this pickup in his name, an order directing that the Defendants deliver actual possession of the pickup to the Plaintiff, an Order that the Defendants obtain a lien release from Red River Credit Corporation releasing its security interest in this pickup, or, in the alternative, a judgment for $10,562, representing the Plaintiff's financial investment in this vehicle, and granting the Plaintiff a security interest in this vehicle as security for the satisfaction of this judgment, and all further legal and equitable relief that the Court may deed justified. Count 3: 2014 Dodge, VIN Ending in 1090 23. Defendants have possession of this pickup and refuse to return it and refuse to put Plaintiff's name on the title. 24. In addition to the purchase price of $22,204, the Plaintiff has invested another $4,445.60 in repairs and accessories to this pickup. Wherefore Plaintiff prays for an order quieting title to this pickup in his name, ordering that the Defendants return actual possession of the pickup to the Plaintiff, or alternatively, enter judgment against the Defendants for $26,649.60 representing the Plaintiff's financial investment in this vehicle, and granting the Plaintiff a security interest in this vehicle as security for the satisfaction of this judgment, and all further legal and equitable relief that the Court may deed justified. Count 4: Fines and Costs 25. Plaintiff has paid in excess of $4,000 for the Defendants' court fines and court costs. 26. Defendants refuse to reimburse the Plaintiff for these expenses. Wherefore, Plaintiff prays for a judgment in his favor for $4,000 (or the actual amount as revealed through discovery in this matter if the actual amount is different than $4,000) against both Defendants, attorney fees, costs and all further legal and equitable relief that the Court may deem justified. Count 5: Capital One Credit Card 27. The Defendants made $3000 in unauthorized charges on the Plaintiff's credit card. 28. Defendants refuse to reimburse the Plaintiff for these charges. Wherefore, Plaintiff prays for a judgment in his favor for $3,000, and for attorney fees, costs and all further legal and equitable relief that the Court may deem justified. Count 6: Tablet 29. The Defendants refuse to return the Plaintiff's tablet to the Plaintiff. 30. The tablet was purchased for $698.21. Wherefore, Plaintiff prays for an order quieting title to the tablet in the Plaintiff's name, ordering the Defendants to return actual possession of the table to the Plaintiff, ordering the Defendants to disclose the accurate passcodes or security information necessary to use the tablet, or in the alternative, an judgement against the Defendants for $698.12 and for attorney fees, costs and all further legal and equitable relief that the Court may deem justified. Count 7: Handicap Placard 31. The Defendants are in illegal possession of the handicap placard provided to the Plaintiff. Wherefore Plaintiff prays for an order directing that the Defendants return the Plaintiff's handicap placard, to the Plaintiff, and for attorney fees, costs and all further legal and equitable relief that the Court may deem justified. Count 8: Assault and Battery 32. The Defendant Cunningham assaulted and battered the Defendant on August 2, 2019. 33. This assault and battery injured the Plaintiff and caused pain and suffering. Wherefore, Plaintiff prays for judgment in his favor against the Defendant Cunningham for an amount in excess of $10,000 and for all further legal and equitable relief that the Court may deem justified. Respectfully, Justin Lamunyon, OBA 16007 118 N. Independence Enid, OK 73701 580-242-4621 Attorney for Plaintiff