New York State - Division of Criminal Justice Services

where defendants seek specific parts for re-sale, such as catalytic converters thatcontain valuable titanium.One increase of crime noted in this area stems from online criminal activity wherea defendant poses as the seller of a car part product and does not deliver said productafter receiving payment, or offers repairs of auto parts that are sent along with payment.The victim then finds that the item is not returned to them and the money has alreadybeen obtained by the defendant.As continuing from previous reporting years, Albany County District Attorney’sOffice is uniquely positioned to conduct investigations and prosecute methods of autotheft based upon Albany County having jurisdiction over every crime which involvesfiling paperwork with the state Department of Motor Vehicles, and many investigationswere opened in 2009 that focused on the alteration, production, sale and possession ofillegal documents such as titles, registrations and insurance cards. The unit continues towork with investigators from all agencies, including DMV, in investigating andprosecuting these types of scams: counterfeit/altered title, title washing, fraudulentmanufacturer’s certificate of origin, identity theft, fraudulent license/insurancecards/inspection stickers, and use of internet/computers.Strategies ImplementedIn addition to opportunistic and targeted crime, there can be other factors thatlead to the detection of crimes involving vehicles. As noted in the tracking of trendsover 2009, the activity that alerts police agencies to offenders does not always stemfrom criminal activity involving a vehicle, but can result in motor vehicle theft orinsurance fraud arrests and investigations. Conversely, motor vehicle theft detectioncan also lead to the discovery of other criminal activity. It is important to consider all ofthese factors when implementing strategies to combat motor vehicle and insurancecrime.The unit has continued to reach out to every law enforcement agency in thecounty to conduct training/information sessions for local law enforcement in issuesrelating to both motor vehicle theft and motor vehicle insurance fraud. Formalmeetings/training sessions were conducted throughout 2009. In 2009, investigationmeetings and conferences often included:• initial case review and/or grand jury, hearing and trial preparation on new arrestsand pending cases;• regular meetings connected to ongoing open investigations in particular cases;• training and education on various trends and methods of auto-related insurancefraud and auto theft matters;• meetings held to address a particular trend or a particular defendant or group ofdefendants; andNYS DIVISION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES MVTIFP BOARD / ANNUAL REPORT 2009 Page 80