Man posing as tow truck driver stole vehicles to sell for scrap, Oregon officials say
A 53-year-year-old man is accused of pretending to be a tow truck driver to steal vehicles and sell them for scrap metal, Oregon officials said.
The man was arrested Jan. 5 on multiple charges following a months-long investigation, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Investigators discovered someone representing Maters Auto Recycling had sold 80 vehicles to Rivergate Scrap Metals in Portland between August and November, officials said.
The scrap yard paid $29,000 in cash to a representative, officials said. The man acted as “the primary Maters’ representative to Rivergate,” officials said.
However, he has been linked to five stolen vehicles, prosecutors said.
Officials said he used fake DMV forms that showed he acquired the stolen vehicles through auction or lawfully towed them at the government’s request, officials said.
He was also caught trying to steal a 79-year-old woman’s Cadillac on Dec. 9, officials said.
The woman was with her great-grandchildren in another vehicle when she saw her vehicle being towed, so she blocked him in until he returned her vehicle, officials said.
Investigators determined Maters Auto Recycling wasn’t a licensed towing company, and the man wasn’t driving a licensed tow truck.
Now the man faces 19 charges, including trafficking in stolen vehicles, unauthorized use of a vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, theft, criminal mischief, forgery, and identity theft.
This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Man posing as tow truck driver stole vehicles to sell for scrap, Oregon officials say."
