GREELEY, Colo. -- One person has been sentenced and five others charged in connection with a sophisticated vehicle theft ring that was operating out of a Greeley business, according to a report from the Greeley Tribune.
The alleged chop shop operation took place at Alvarado Oil Services on 26th Avenue and West 10th Street.
Police told the Tribune they knew they had a chop shop on their hands when they noticed that many cars stolen in the area weren’t found within a day of being reported missing or stolen, as is usually the case.
Investigators told the newspaper the theft ring at Alvarado Oil Services stole almost $1 million worth of trucks, cars and heavy equipment, stripping the vehicles of all identifying information and then selling them.
The company’s owner, Jose Alvarado, was arrested several times, with the most recent arrest being in Nov. 2015.
The Tribune reports Alvarado was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison. Five others, including Alvarado’s wife and son, have been charged in the case.
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