Posted on: December 07, 2024 09:57 AM

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NY AG announces arrest of Rensselaer County tow truck operator for car theft scheme

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the arrest of John F. Rivers, 43, of East Greenbush for using his towing company, Rivers Asset Recovery, to steal and sell vehicles towed from parking lots across the Capital Region. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and New York State Police (NYSP) revealed that Rivers used his contracts with local businesses to monitor parking lots and tow vehicles, and then later illegally sold vehicles he towed to scrapyards or used car dealers. Rivers was charged today with multiple felonies for stealing 17 vehicles worth a combined $230,000 over nearly two years, including Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, and Scheme to Defraud.

Parking lots serviced by Rivers included a Walmart in Latham, a Hannaford in Albany, and a Home Depot in Rensselaer. Of the 17 vehicles Rivers stole, 12 were sold to used car dealers and five were sold to scrapyards. In some cases when the owners of vehicles that Rivers stole tried to recover their cars, Rivers would either ignore their requests or demand $1,000 for every day that he had held the car.

“Through a collaborative investigation among law enforcement partners, we have uncovered an alleged car theft operation that was responsible for victimizing car owners throughout the Capital Region,” said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. “I want to commend the efforts of the Attorney General’s office and all of those involved in bringing this criminal activity to an end, and for the outstanding work that led to the arrest in this case.”

The ongoing investigation is led by the NYSP Special Investigations Unit.

From AG