Tanya Tucker's Ex-Fiance Arrested in Las Vegas

8/2/2007 Stephen L. Betts Jerry Laseter, former fiance and longtime boyfriend of Tanya Tucker, was arrested Saturday in the Las Vegas area and charged with felony theft. Also arrested was Chrislynn Jones, a woman police identified as a co-conspirator. They were released on $3,000 bail each. The Las Vegas Sun reports that a truck carrying $500,000 worth of Tanya's wardrobe and jewelry was stolen somewhere between Tennessee and Nevada. According to a Las Vegas Metro Police report filed late Tuesday (7/31), on July 22 Laseter was driving a U-Haul truck in a caravan from Nashville to Las Vegas when he broke off from the group, which included Tanya, in Albuquerque, and "continued on solo." He then allegedly contacted Tanya via text message and demanded money for gasoline, adding that if he didn't get it, he'd start selling items out of the truck. Tanya reportedly agreed to give Laseter $1,000 and two tickets back to Nashville. On Friday, Laseter took the truck to Palace Station Hotel and left the keys with a bellman. The following morning, an associate of Tanya's picked up the truck and drove it to the Hard Rock Hotel. Nothing was inside the truck except a note that read: "When you are trying to get someone over a barrel, make sure you got a strong barrel." It was punctuated with an expletive. The wardrobe and jewelry were recovered and returned to Tanya, Metro Police said. This is not the first time Tanya Tucker and Jerry Laseter have made headlines. The couple had a child, Layla LaCosta, in 1999. That same year, the Nashville Tennessean reported Tucker filed a domestic violence charge against the father. In a 2004 interview with Larry King, Tanya said she gave back to Laseter a 10.10-carat diamond ring he had given her. The singer said he was withholding their daughter and she was considering filing charges. Then, in 2005 the Tennessean reported that Tanya applied for a protective order against Laseter, claiming he harassed her before shows, grabbed her throat and gave her a black eye. The case is continued indefinitely, court officials said Wednesday. Laseter is co-producer of Tanya's self-titled 2002 album. He also plays electric guitar on several songs from the album -- "including," the Sun report says, "a few about love."