NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

BETH PHILLIPS

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov../index.html

APRIL 13, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLUE SPRINGS MAN SENTENCED FOR $1 MILLION

STOLEN VEHICLE, CHOP SHOP CONSPIRACY

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Blue Springs, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to steal a number of vehicles, which were disassembled at several chop shops and the parts sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Harley Harvey, 42, of Blue Springs, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on Monday, April 12, 2010, to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Harvey to pay $25,003 in restitution.

On Oct. 23, 2008, Harvey pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to transport and sell stolen vehicles and stolen vehicle parts across state lines from March 13, 2004, to Aug. 26, 2007. Conspirators stole more than 50 trucks, cars, trailers, construction equipment and motorcycles valued at over $1 million and transported them across state lines for the purpose of “chopping” the vehicles up and selling the parts or trading them for illegal drugs. They operated several chop shops in Missouri and Kansas where the vehicles were taken after they were stolen.

Members of the conspiracy sold the vehicle parts to local customers and to out-of-state customers on eBay.

Harvey admitted that at least a dozen stolen vehicles, valued at $183,500, were stored in his Blue Springs shop. Those vehicles included a two stolen skid loaders and a stolen Dodge Ram 3500, each valued at $30,000 or more.

Harvey is the eighth defendant to plead guilty and be sentenced in the federal indictment.

Darin L. Yohe, 41, of Kansas City, was sentenced to six years and five months federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Yohe to pay $88,670 in restitution. Sean C. Dale, 36, was sentenced to four years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Dale to pay $179,865 in restitution. Donald L. Buttman, 37, of Kansas City, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Buttman to pay $123,364 in restitution. David L. Reiff, 44, of Raytown, was sentenced to two years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Reiff to pay $8,900 in restitution. Timothy W. Holloway, 41, of Independence, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $44,516 in restitution. Hayden Wells, 36, of Kansas City, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. John T. Sloan, 48, of Independence, was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $335 in restitution.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Pansing Brown. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jackson County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and members of the MOKAN Theft Task Force.

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