A 35-year-old Howard Beach man was charged with selling 12 stolen vehicles to Long Island scrap yards, where they were sold as scrap metal and expected to be crushed, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. The defendant was allegedly paid $600 to $750 per vehicle, according to the DA.
John Brew was arraigned Friday on a criminal complaint charging him with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, falsifying business records, and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
“As the price of scrap metal increases, thieves are growing more aggressive and taking advantage of a quirk in the law which allows them to dispose of vehicles eight years or older without proof of title,” Brown said in a prepared statement. “They simply show their driver’s license at the scrap yard, fill out a DMV form stating that they are the delivery agent or the vehicle’s owner and leave with cash in their pocket – and their victims without a ride.”
According to the charges, Brew allegedly delivered the vehicles to Universal Scrap Processes and Gershow Recycling facilities on Long Island between Feb. 4 and April 7 – and, in exchange, received cash, the DA said.
In each case, according to the charges, Brew allegedly presented a New York State Department of Motor Vehicles form used to transfer a vehicle that is at least eight model years old and worth less than $1,250 to a vehicle dismantler, vehicle collector, or certified scrap processor when the owner does not have the title. The forms were allegedly signed by Brew and listed him as teh vehicle owner, Brown said.
In a number of the cases, it is alleged that the vehicle’s ignition was broken and the plastic key holder was placed back into position and a bogus Ford key was placed into the ignition to make it look like Brew had the key.
The 12 stolen vehicles included two Dodge Caravans and 10 Ford Econoline vans, according to the DA.
