Rensselaer County tow truck operator arrested for alleged car theft scheme
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)-- An East Greenbush man was arrested after allegedly using his towing company, Rivers Asset Recovery, to steal and sell cars towed from parking lots. John Rivers, 43, faces multiple felony charges.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, an investigation by them and New York State Police revealed that Rivers used his contracts with local businesses to monitor parking lots and then sold the cars he towed to scrapyards or used car dealerships. Rivers reportedly stole 17 cars worth a combined $230,000 over two years.
"Car theft is a serious crime that can leave New Yorkers stranded, and my office is focused on stopping anyone who tries to profit from it," Attorney General James said. "This alleged scheme was a systematic effort to use legal towing for illegal theft and deception, leaving New Yorkers across the Capital Region in the dark about what happened to their cars. I thank our partners in this investigation for their work to help crack down on car theft and shut down this scheme."
The OAG reported that towing companies are required to notify the owner of the car within five days and hold the car for 30, before claiming it. Rivers, however, allegedly sold cars he towed within days and without notifying the owner. Rivers serviced parking lots for the Latham Walmart, an Albany Hannaford and a Rensselaer Home Depot.
In March 2024, state police investigators parked an "undercover" Hyundai Sonata in the Latham Walmart parking lot; the car was later towed and brought to Rivers Asset Recovery shop, with the registered owner not notified of it being towed. Two months later, troopers reported the car was transported to a scrapyard in Massachusetts, where police found it cut up.
According to the OAG, when owners did try to recover their cars, Rivers would allegedly ignore their requests or demand $1,000 for every day that he had the car. Of the 17 cars he allegedly stole, 12 were reportedly sold to used car dealers and five were sold to scrapyards.
Charges:
- Grand Larceny in the third degree
- Grand Larceny in the fourth degree
- Scheme to Defraud
"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."
If convicted of the charges against him, Rivers faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The investigation remains ongoing according to the state police Special Investigations Unit, with the assistance of the state Department of Motor Vehicles and the Division of Tax and Finance.