A man in Ridgewood faces four charges, including first-degree auto stripping, for allegedly running a motorcycle chop shop in the basement of his home.
Philip Dietrich, 43, who lives at 60-91 Putnam Ave. in Ridgewood, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Wednesday, May 9. He was charged with first-degree auto stripping, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, illegal possession of a vehicle identification number and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was held on $1,000 bail and will return to court on June 13. He faces up to seven years in prison if he is convicted.
Police conducted a search inside Dietrich’s Ridgewood home around 8 p.m. on April 25 and found six motorcycle frames in his basement that were reported stolen between 2007 and 2010, according to a press release from Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. They also found seven motorcycle frames that had defaced vehicle identification numbers and hundreds of other motorcycle parts including rims, gas tanks and mirrors. In addition to that, police also recovered 15 methadone pills.
Brown said that Dietrich’s alleged actions will not be tolerated in Queens.
“Auto theft and related crimes are at historic lows and we must be vigilant in keeping them from rising,” Brown said. “In addition, this type of illegal operation has no place in a residential neighborhood.”
