New York State - Division of Criminal Justice Services

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Another case that was recently indicted involved a defendant who convinced awealthy family friend to finance vehicles for his used car dealership. The defendantconvinced the friend to finance vehicles without receiving the title to the vehicle. Thedefendant received financing from his friend to purchase vehicles and then thedefendant went to other financial backers and financed the same vehicles a secondtime. When the business finally fell apart and the victim realized there was a problem,the defendant left town. The other financial backers were able to repossess many ofthe vehicles because they held the titles to the vehicles, the defendant’s friend had norecourse and he was simply out $984,000. This defendant was indicted on one countsecond-degree grand larceny and four counts of third-degree grand larceny.This office also has encountered identity theft as a manner of committing theftand fraud cases. A defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree forgery for attempting topurchase two 2009 Chevrolet Malibus using a line of credit in another person’s name.The defendant was employed as a debt collector and he had access to informationregarding Social Security numbers. The defendant went to two separate Chevroletdealers and attempted to take out a line of credit in the name of individual whose IDinformation he had stolen in order to buy a new Malibu for $29,000. However, theinformation he used to fill out the loan application revealed that the individual lives inCalifornia. Luckily, the finance manager at each dealership realized there was aproblem and denied the line of credit at each dealership. The defendant was reportedto the police. He was located at a third dealership test driving a third vehicle, this time aBMW. The defendant is a five-time prior felon and was sentenced to 3 to 6 years instate prison.The primary strategy implemented over the past year has been to aggressivelyprosecute the worst repeat offenders. This strategy has involved increasedcommunication between agencies with an emphasis on more complete investigations ofcases pre-arrest. The office’s goal is to push for more comprehensive, thoroughinvestigations, utilizing assistance from a broad a range of law enforcement agencies inorder to best coordinate the available resources in our region. This method hasprovided greater opportunity to amass better evidence against offenders.This office regularly works with the Buffalo Police Department, CheektowagaPolice Department, Buffalo Fire Department, New York State Police, New York StateInsurance Department, National Insurance Crime Bureau, state Department of MotorVehicles and investigators from insurance companies. In addition to working with lawenforcement, this office also has increasingly worked with local businesses involved inauto sales and scrap processing.NYS DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES MVTIFP BOARD / ANNUAL REPORT 2009 Page 60
Erie County District AttorneyPerformance Measure Total Performance Measure TotalMVT indictments 24 MVT warrants issued 7MVT misdemeanor convictions 45 MVIF misdemeanor arrest prosecuted 8MVT felony convictions 81 MVIF felony arrest prosecuted 21MVT misdemeanor arrest prosecuted 170 MVIF misdemeanor convictions 15MVT felony arrest prosecuted 191 MVIF felony convictions 14Confidential informants 12 MVIF investigations opened 7MVT investigations opened 30 MVIF warrants issued 1Niagara County Office of the District AttorneyThe Niagara County District Attorney’s Office has a specific unit dedicated toMotor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud that consists of one full-time criminalinvestigator and one full-time assistant district attorney (ADA).In 2009, the county saw a 25% decrease in stolen vehicles, to 235. A total of 140vehicles were logged as recovered, which is approximately 60% of vehicles reportedstolen. During, vehicle fires seem to have been on the rise in the fall. Typically, avehicle reported stolen was later located hidden on the Tuscarora Reservation, usuallyburned. There also have been several instances of vehicles found burning in rear alleysin Niagara Falls area. It has been surmised that some vehicles burned on theReservation had not been discovered soon enough and burning them in the cityresulted in them being discovered much sooner, ensuring a quicker insurance payoff.In 2009, the Niagara County District Attorney's Office was involved in theprosecution and arrests of 162 individuals involving auto theft and larcenies fromvehicles and the prosecution and arrest of eight individuals involving auto insurancefraud cases.Strategies utilized by the Niagara County District Attorney’s Motor Vehicle Theftand Insurance Fraud Unit involved long term, multijurisdictional agencies. Major casesinvolved a long-term investigation into the Myles Salvage Yard and a case involving twodefendants stealing vehicles in Niagara County and disposing of them in salvage yardsin Erie County. Both defendants pleaded guilty as charged to dismantling vehicleswithout a license, both felonies. The Niagara County District Attorney’s Motor VehicleTheft and Insurance Fraud Unit has developed excellent working relationships withmany law enforcement agencies, including the state Insurance Bureau, the New YorkState Police Special Investigations Unit, the state Department of Motor Vehicles, theNational Insurance Crime Bureau, many local insurance companies and investigators,various agencies from within the Department of Homeland Security, in addition to local,county, town and village law enforcement agencies. These relationships have beeninstrumental in developing leads, uncovering illegal activities and have resulted in manysuccessful prosecutions. A major obstacle in the prosecution of vehicle crime cases isthe fact that agencies do not routinely require stolen vehicle reports to be signed by theNYS DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES MVTIFP BOARD / ANNUAL REPORT 2009 Page 61
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Table of ContentsPageI. Introductio
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All of the tasks outlined above are
Page 8 and 9:
addition, officers representing 16
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1000Motor Vehicle Theft Rate/100K P
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The Division of Criminal JusticeSer
Page 14 and 15: These crimes add an estimated 10% t
Page 16 and 17: per 100,000), Richmond County (111.
Page 18 and 19: 2. Methods for combating the proble
Page 20 and 21: SUMMARY OF BOARD ACTIVITY ON Septem
Page 22 and 23: DCJS StaffRon DickensVal Friedlande
Page 24 and 25: Western Region AgenciesAmountApplic
Page 26 and 27: VI. 2009 Grant Program Descriptions
Page 28 and 29: According to the New York City Poli
Page 30 and 31: in 2009, an enterprise corruption i
Page 32 and 33: corporation that defrauded the city
Page 34 and 35: In the area of insurance fraud, muc
Page 36 and 37: Despite warnings and public service
Page 38 and 39: Patrol Borough Manhattan North repo
Page 40 and 41: confines of Brooklyn South and the
Page 42 and 43: ecovered with seats, doors, and oth
Page 44 and 45: Borough Queens North are evidenced
Page 46 and 47: FAIS STRATEGIES• Use confidential
Page 48 and 49: motor vehicle insurance fraud are d
Page 50 and 51: investigation and utilized all reso
Page 52 and 53: the help of funding received from o
Page 54 and 55: with investigators from both agenci
Page 56 and 57: offering hands-on demonstrations re
Page 58 and 59: Western RegionBuffalo City Police D
Page 60 and 61: agencies with similar investigation
Page 62 and 63: PD, National Insurance Crime Bureau
Page 66 and 67: complainant; this is now happening
Page 68 and 69: Niagara Falls City Police Departmen
Page 70 and 71: motor vehicles are assigned to this
Page 72 and 73: The District Attorney’s Office sp
Page 74 and 75: scene; younger suspects would use t
Page 76 and 77: One theft for transportation invest
Page 78 and 79: Rochester Police DepartmentPerforma
Page 80 and 81: Both agencies are continuing the in
Page 82 and 83: November 2009 - A targeted patrol o
Page 84 and 85: where defendants seek specific part
Page 86 and 87: had knowledge that the car was stol
Page 88 and 89: Reported Incidents of Motor Vehicle
Page 90 and 91: Incidence of Motor Vehicle Thefts:
Page 92 and 93: REPORTED MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS: 2008
Page 94 and 95: Motor Vehicle Thefts Rates per Popu
Page 96 and 97: Motor Vehicle Thefts Rates per Regi
Page 98 and 99: Motor Vehicle Insurance Fraud Suspe
Page 100: MVIF 2009 Rate per Population2009Ra
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New York State - Division of Criminal Justice Services

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