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Stolen merchandise brings two arrests
Two Cleveland Drive residents are facing charges of criminal possession of stolen property and illegal possession of a vehicle identification number after Cheektowaga Police determined they stole more than $35,000 worth of commercial items.
Debra A. Singer, 46, and Jay P. Hennessey, 21, both of Cleveland Drive, were arrested Monday afternoon.
The investigation began when a Michigan man arrived in town September 14 to pick up an air compressor he had purchased on the Internet commerce site E-bay.
There was a dispute over the price, and the man contacted Cheektowaga police. Upon arrival, officers noticed that various items were missing VIN, or vehicle identification, numbers or that the identifications had been scratched off.
Town Justice James Vallone signed a search warrant that was executed Monday.
That afternoon, Detective Mark Jedd of the CPD Auto Theft Squad, Sgt. Ken Rusin and Fran Hannigan of the National Insurance Crime Bureau and special agent of Area 9 Operations responded to Hennesey's address at 54 Cleveland and located several stolen items in the garage.
Among the items recovered were a $15,000 Woodchuck woodchipper taken from Cattaraugus County, several riding lawn mowers from Niagara County, a generator, snow blower, several ladders, a pressure washer and a Starcraft pop-up camper.
Many items had missing VIN numbers and were towed to the town impound lot.
The Ingersol Rand air compressor in question, valued at $8,000, was determined to have been stolen from Amherst.
Cheektowaga police charged Hennessy with two counts of illegal possession of a VIN number and three counts of criminal possession of stolen property, while Singer was also charged with criminal possession of stolen property and illegal possession of a VIN number.
Rusin and Jedd continue to head the investigation and are working with other law enforcement agencies in an attempt to trace the stolen items and determine if other individuals are involved.
Patrol officers Michelle Wachowiak and Kim Zielinski arrested Singer at her residence. Detective Paul Batt also assisted in the investigation.
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