HERKIMER, NY — New York State Police have arrested four men in connection with a stolen property and trailer registration fraud investigation that began with a Facebook Marketplace sale.
State Police received a report on Dec. 10 from a purchaser who believed a recently purchased trailer may have been stolen.
The purchaser reported buying the trailer on Nov. 24 from a male at 284 Johnson Road in the town of Schuyler.
The trailer had been registered as a homemade trailer and did not display a vehicle identification number.
During the investigation, the purchaser located old registration paperwork inside the trailer containing the original VIN.
State Police confirmed the trailer, a 2021 CAM Superline dump trailer, had been reported stolen from Gill, Massachusetts.
The trailer was recovered and later returned to the owner.
With assistance from investigators with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, State Police determined multiple homemade trailer registrations had been processed at the Herkimer County DMV using the same certified weight slip.
Investigators determined 26 trailer registrations were involved, including registrations submitted by four individuals.
On April 22, State Police and DMV Investigators executed a search warrant at 284 Johnson Road in the town of Schuyler.
During the search, investigators seized a silver Mission manufactured dump trailer with no visible VIN that had been registered as a homemade trailer.
No additional stolen property was located.
David Lashchuk, 21, of Utica, was arrested May 15 and charged with 42 counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, nine counts of falsifying business records in the second degree, one count of criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, one count of removing a vehicle identification number and one count of falsifying business records in the first degree.
David Lashchuk was arraigned in the Town of German Flatts Court and is scheduled to appear in the Village of Herkimer Court on May 26.
Bogdan Lashchuk, 28, of New Hartford, was arrested May 21 and charged with six counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.
Bogdan Lashchuk was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Village of Herkimer Court on June 9 at 4 p.m.
Yuriy Lashchuk, 34, of Frankfort, was arrested May 22 and charged with six counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, one count of removing a vehicle identification number and one count of falsifying business records in the first degree.
Yuriy Lashchuk was issued appearance tickets returnable to the Town of Schuyler Court on June 15 and the Village of Herkimer Court on June 9 at 4 p.m.
Nikolay Lashchuk, 58, of Utica, was arrested May 22 and charged with three counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.
Nikolay Lashchuk was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Village of Herkimer Court on June 9 at 4 p.m.
