Dan's 5 minutes of fame...

So Dan was quoted in the newspaper this morning in the Daily Herald (the utah county paper)...  It's an article all about the drama they've been having at his work...  So yeah- enjoy.  

PS- Dan's not the tow truck thief- read on to see the stuff about him...

Friday, 22 August 2008

Tow truck thief faces 30 felonies

Janice Peterson - Daily herald

A Utah County man has been charged with more than 30 felonies this week after having used his tow truck to steal and sell old cars. Investigators say 45-year-old George Peahl used his personal tow truck to steal at least 11 cars from neighborhoods around Orem, and would then apply for a duplicate title in his name and sell the cars to a wrecking yard in American Fork. Officials believe Peahl scrapped wheels, catalytic converters and aluminum engine blocks and then sold the gutted cars for $130-$190 per ton. Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division, said if anyone saw the crimes occurring, they likely did not think much of a tow truck driving away with an early or mid-1990s car. "He had a tow truck that appeared to be a legitimate business," he said. The cars were not operable, and some came from long-term storage areas, so investigators say it may have taken victims some time to notice they were gone. It is unknown whether any thefts occurred outside of Orem, but the 11 cars known to be stolen were all taken to Kurt's Automotive and Wrecking. According to the police, the wrecking yard is another innocent victim in the case. The yard paid approximately $200 for each car, all of which they believed belonged to Peahl. Dan Baldwin, general manager of Kurt's Automotive and Wrecking, said the company was unaware of any wrongdoing until a victim visited the yard. "He was forging paperwork and bringing them to me," he said. "He was in another company's tow truck, so there was little to suspect." A man who recently visited the business to buy scraps noticed his own vehicle in the yard and notified employees. Baldwin said he then asked Peahl for tow-away requests for the vehicles he had brought, but the man never called him back and was soon arrested. Of the 11 stolen vehicles, four have already been crushed and recycled. The rest are in no condition for the owners to want them back, so Baldwin said the company will be buying the cars from their rightful owners at the Kelley Blue Book price. The cars that are worth $200 in scrap value will be bought at about $2,000 a piece, for a total amount of more than $20,000. "Basically, we're a victim, but we're trying to help out," he said. Police say the wrecking yard has no responsibility to pay the victims, and charges will be filed against Peahl on behalf of the company. Roberts said the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division is involved in many auto-related crimes, but he seldom sees cases like this one. "Our officers specialize in recovering stolen vehicles, but this is different in that he was using a tow truck and stealing vehicles," he said. The case will soon be turned over to the Utah County Attorney's Office for official charges, and Roberts said Peahl faces a litany of charges for each vehicle stolen. The thefts will result in more than 30 second-degree felony charges of auto theft, forgery and possession of a stolen vehicle. "He's got some explaining to do," Roberts said.