Tow truck driver sentenced after stealing nearly 50 cars

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (KDVR) — A former tow truck driver who pleaded guilty to stealing nearly 50 vehicles was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

The 23rd Judicial District Attorney says the driver was preying on older, broken-down vehicles and then selling them before the owners knew they had been stolen.

Investigators say the tow truck driver would sell the vehicles at salvage yards in some cases for up to $500 each.

“But as you can imagine, these are individuals who perhaps have a lower income. It’s a broken-down car. They couldn’t tow it right away. They had to make other arrangements. And so, in most of these instances, he was preying on people to whom it would cause the most harm,” said 23rd Judicial District Chief Deputy District Attorney Jake Adkins.

The DA said Douglas County sheriff’s deputies spotted one of the stolen vehicles on a tow truck with a license plate reading camera.

The tow truck driver, Brian Chacon, was then linked to nearly 50 stolen vehicles in 2023 and 2024, the DA said.

The chief deputy district attorney says Chacon was able to quickly sell the vehicles he illegally towed.

“He would take those to a salvage yard and he was able to exploit loopholes in the PUC regulations that allowed him to sign that off as if it was his own vehicle. He would hurry and do it before the vehicle was reported stolen,” DA Chief Deputy Adkins said.

Apparently, he would find old broken down cars, tow them away, and sell them to junk yards. Tow truck drivers could sell them without showing title. He probably stole about 100 cars and made about $40K doing it. He got 16 years.

1 posted on 10/01/2025 8:17:26 PM PDT by xxqqzz

He sure deserved the 16 years, of all the people to steal their cars from.

I bet some homelessness and terrible stories came from some of those victims.

2 posted on 10/01/2025 8:23:17 PM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))

thou shalt not steal

And the people who run NGO’s steal BILLIONS and get no jail time.

4 posted on 10/01/2025 8:32:58 PM PDT by US_MilitaryRules (#PureBlood )

Every reputable ~~junk~~ salvage yard records the VIN and ID of every vehicle and customer. I don't know how this dude got away with it for so long.

5 posted on 10/01/2025 8:38:00 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie ( O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is gracious, and his mercy endures forever. — Psalm 106)

What are the chances one of his fellow inmates is one of his victims? Hilarity ensues ...

6 posted on 10/01/2025 8:38:37 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (First, I was a clinger, then deplorable, now I'm garbage. Feel the love? )

About 20 years ago, one of ours, towed by a supposed reputable mechanic, showed up in a junk yard across the country. We weren’t happy.

7 posted on 10/01/2025 8:46:51 PM PDT by pops88 ( Helping usher the glory of God into Las Vegas)

Today. Mr. Tow Truck driver, we are going to put you on the hook.

8 posted on 10/01/2025 9:07:17 PM PDT by kublia khan (Absolute war brings total victory)

Didn’t they make two movies about this?

9 posted on 10/01/2025 9:18:37 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.”)

They just needed one person to shoot him for stealing their property.

10 posted on 10/01/2025 9:20:53 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)

Thieves who steal multiple cars worth hundreds of thousands of dollars generally don’t get 16 years in California. They should though.

11 posted on 10/01/2025 9:30:47 PM PDT by Enterprise (These people have no honor, no belief, no poetry, no art, no humor, no patriotism.)

(He got 16 years)

I would have given him 32 years

Harmed a lot of people

12 posted on 10/01/2025 10:34:52 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)

Murders and rapists get less time.

13 posted on 10/01/2025 11:43:19 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)

I’d look at his citizen status in order to deport.

14 posted on 10/02/2025 12:10:29 AM PDT by Does so ("Things will now change in Minneapolis AND AT HOME"....Dem☭¢rat... ∅ ™ ¿ ¡ ☞ ½¼)

I don't know how this dude got away with it for so long.

It's Colorado.
Used to be #1 for auto thefts in the country a year or two ago.
Still run by commies.
I'm amazed he got sentenced for it at all.
(All of my vehicles have alarms and GPS trackers)

15 posted on 10/02/2025 12:19:28 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Democrats should have been barred from elections since The Battle Of Athens.)

Chacon. Another “hardworking” asylum seeker.

16 posted on 10/02/2025 6:50:13 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The Shumer Shutdown. The first step of Sandy Cortez's grab of Chunky Shoomer's job. LOL!)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794