Selling a Vehicle? Don’t Get Taken for a Ride!
LIVINGSTON COUNTY: Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty advises of a community safety alert involving recent car thefts in the county.
The believed group of suspects has committed the crime of felony grand larceny on at least two occasions in Livingston County over the last several months. The first occurrence was in the Town of Caledonia and the second in the Town of Geneseo. In both of the occurrences the owners of the vehicle posted their car for sale on facebook marketplace. The group of suspects then responded to the ad and set up a meet with the person selling the vehicle.
On the first occurrence the owner of the vehicle met with the group of suspects at his home and then rode in the vehicle for the test drive. The group of suspects then stopped roadside and asked him to step to the back of the vehicle to look at an issue. The owner of the vehicle was then left roadside.
In the second occurrence, the owner of the vehicle met with the group of suspects at their home and ultimately allowed the group to take the car for a test drive, at which time they never returned.
The Sheriff is asking that folks selling their vehicle to an unknown person, please use the Sheriff’s Office SAFE TRANSACTION ZONE located at 4 Court Street in Geneseo. The space is designated for such exchanges and is accessible 24/7/365 directly in front of the Sheriff’s Office Headquarters
(between County Court and the Government Center Building). The SAFE TRANSACTION ZONE is monitored on video 24/7/365 and you can also call into 243-7100 and ask for a Deputy to step outside and monitor the transaction in person.
This group of suspects is believed to be committing these types of crimes over multiple counties. The group is also believed to be escalating in their actions and are considered very dangerous.
If you have any information you wish to share, you may call 585.243.7100 or 844.LCSO.TIP.
You may also leave a tip on our website at www.livingstoncounty.us/sheriff under the TAKE ACTION tab.