Police find chop shop; 74-year-old faces 14 charges

The shop has probably operated many years, a detective says.

By PATRICIA MEADE

VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — It took Lewis Roosevelt 74 years to get into trouble with the law.

“He has no record, other than traffic,” said Detective Sgt. Anthony Longmire, head of the auto theft division — a fact echoed by Dana C. Guarnieri, assistant city prosecutor.

But Roosevelt, 74, of Shehy Street, now faces 14 counts of receiving stolen property — cars and car parts. In municipal court Thursday, his bond was set at $50,000. He will be back June 20 for a preliminary hearing.

Longmire said what appeared to be a vacant business at 2007 Market St., the former Ziebart building, turned out to be a chop shop. Stolen vehicles were found inside, as well as parts cannibalized from other stolen cars — a hood, doors and license plates.

The discovery

“We got involved after a fire” Longmire said. “The fire was ‘helpful.’”

An accidental fire May 6 didn’t do a lot of damage inside the building but it did reveal the illegal activity, said fire Capt. Alvin Ware.

Longmire said the vehicles and parts found inside the building were traced to thefts in nearly all surrounding communities. He said most parts have identification numbers — “if you know where to look” — that can be used to trace ownership.

Roosevelt, the detective said, has been renting the building for about 10 years. How long the place operated as a chop shop isn’t known, but definitely for several years, he said.

Chop shop market

Longmire said Roosevelt’s 14 charges could increase as the investigation continues.

“Chop shops are a problem for society. We make every effort to locate them,” Longmire said. “I took over the auto theft division in September and this is my first chop shop — I want more, I want them all.”

He said there’s a big market for stolen car parts but declined to say who has been buying them from the Market Street shop. “It’s still an active case,” is all he would say.

Records show the vehicles found inside the Market Street building were a 1991 Ford Expedition; 2004 Dodge Ram pickup; 1999 Chevrolet Silverado; 1999 Jeep Cherokee; and 1991 Cadillac.

Doors found came from a 1994 Buick; 1998 Buick; 1987 Chevrolet Caprice; 1998 Dodge Durango; and 2001 Oldsmobile.

A hood came from a 1992 Buick, and three license plates were also found.

The 14 warrants for Roosevelt’s arrest were issued Tuesday and he was arrested at home the next morning by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.

meade@vindy.com