Plymouth mechanic charged with running chop shop
James Halpin / Published: September 11, 2019
The owner of a Plymouth auto garage was hit Wednesday with charges alleging he operated a chop shop that stole at least eight vehicles.
Steven Richard Tattersall, 34, of 160 W. Main St., is accused of refusing to return vehicles to owners who were seeking repairs at his garage, Steve's Auto Repair at the same address.
According to the complaint, officers were first dispatched to the garage Aug. 28, when Jade Perillo, the owner of a car dealership, reported Tattersall was refusing to return six vehicles he was supposed to have fixed.
Perillo told police he made a $300 down payment for the various repairs the vehicles needed, but when he checked back later little to no work had been done, according to the complaint. Some of the vehicles were also missing rims and tires, police said.
Perillo told police he then found out Plymouth Borough code enforcement officers had condemned the property and that no work could be performed there.
Tattersall told police that he was not returning Perillo's vehicles until he was paid in full for the work done plus storage costs, according to the complaint. Police then directed Perillo to bring proof of ownership to headquarters for further investigation.
The afternoon of Sept. 4, another victim, Talisa Gonzalez, reported that Tattersall was refusing to return her vehicle, according to the complaint.
Tattersall had towed her car to the garage for repairs about three weeks earlier, but when Gonzalez contacted him to get it back she learned he couldn't perform the work because of the condemnation, the complaint says.
Tattersall tried charging Gonzalez $400 for an undocumented diagnostic test and threatened to scrap her vehicle for payment if she didn't pay, police said.
On Monday, Perillo called police back to report his vehicles had been removed from the property, alleging they were being dismantled and sold for scrap, according to the complaint.
Police say Tattersall failed to obtain a mechanic's lien against Perillo and dismantled the cars "to the point they are unable to be driven or towed from the property." Numerous vehicles are sitting on their frames with no wheels, according to police.
Investigators were summoned to the property once more on Tuesday when Troy Harris reported his car had been in the garage for about a year, the complaint says. When Harris heard the business had been condemned he tried to get his car back, but Tattersall refused on grounds he claimed Harris owed him money for storage, police said.
Tattersall also reported he no longer had the keys to the car, according to police. When Harris went to get the car Tuesday, he found the catalytic converter had been stolen, the complaint says.
Police raided the business Tuesday night, finding the stolen cars in various states of being dismantled, some with the word "storage" spray painted on them, according to the complaint.
Officers also found a 1979 Chevrolet Coachman recreational vehicle that was reported stolen out of Plains Twp., police said. The RV had been cut in half and dismantled, the complaint says.
After being informed about the reason for the raid, Tattersall told police that "vehicles are abandoned after 30 days. That's how I get my money, if not paid," the complaint said. He subsequently requested an attorney and ended the interview.
Police charged Tattersall with eight felony counts of theft, two felony counts of criminal mischief, and one felony count each of operating a chop shop and receiving stolen property.
Magisterial District Judge Joseph D. Spagnuolo Jr. arraigned Tattersall on the charges Wednesday morning and set his bail at $5,000.
A preliminary hearing was set for Sept. 25.