Man Teams Up With TPD To Get Friend's Stolen Bike Back

A Tulsa man's went above and beyond to get his friend's stolen bike back. Not only did he succeed - but the suspect ended up in handcuffs.

Mike Goodman says it was all a team effort; persistence, a little digging on the internet, and the Tulsa police. He says his stubbornness came in handy when someone stole his friend's bike off of the back of his truck near 21st and Harvard.

News On 6 has exclusive surveillance video shows the moment it happened. Goodman says the bike has a unique seat and is easy to spot. 

It didn't take him long to find out where it went - on Craig's List.

"It feels good, and I kept looking and looking and I knew it turned up somewhere," says Goodman.   

He said he took his hunt one step further and contacted seller Troy Greenlee and worked out a time and place to meet. 

"We notified police and went by the station and an officer jumped in the back seat with us," Goodman said. 

Goodman met up with Greenlee at a home near 61st and Riverside. Police say when Greenlee showed Goodman the bike, an officer came up from behind and arrested him.

"He was shocked," says Goodman. "It worked out perfectly the officer just got out of the car casually, the guy never saw him and the officer arrested the guy with no incident." 

Goodman says it's something anyone with enough persistence and patience can do. "One thing that is good, that chalks one up for the good guys," says Goodman, "a little due diligence and we finally caught one of these guys and finally won one of these situations." 

Goodman hopes it's a lesson to others to not believe everything you see online. "I think its feel good for the community, everyone should be more vigilant in looking at this stuff, when its too good to be true, its probably too good to be true. " 

Greenlee is in jail on complaints of stolen property and computer crimes. Goodman says he is keeping the bike until his friend gets back into town and he'll be happy.