The man charged with removing a car from Baltimore City’s impound lot before its rightful owner could pick it up is now facing additional charges of attempting to steal another vehicle.
Juwann Smith of Laurel was arrested Thursday and charged with attempting to take a Toyota Matrix off the city-run Pulaski Highway impound lot last month without the owner’s permission.
Charging documents allege Smith appeared at the facility on Nov. 18 bearing a notarized letter with a fake seal and the forged signature of the car’s owner. But members of the Regional Auto Theft Task Force arrested Smith before he could retrieve the car on related charges stemming from his alleged theft of a 2003 Volkswagen Passat taken off the impound lot using a similar scheme on Oct. 31.
The latest arrest comes on the heels of charges filed against Isaac Rupert, a former Motor Vehicles Administration title clerk who was arrested last week for allegedly issuing fake duplicate titles for three vehicles: the Toyota Matrix, the Volkswagen Passat and a 2004 Dodge Ram truck. Rupert, whose employment with the MVA ended Nov. 28, was hired through a temporary agency.
Police also are seeking a third suspect who allegedly removed the Dodge Ram off the lot on Oct. 29 — also by using a fake title and a forged notarized letter.
Charging documents reveal that critical vehicle information — including the make of vehicle and the vehicle identification number — was obtained from the city’s bimonthly auction list. The list is a tally of vehicles that have not been claimed by owners, which the city then offers for sale. The auction list is published in both local newspapers and on the city Web site and includes the make, model, and VINs of the vehicles. The VIN is necessary to obtain a duplicate title for the car, which police alleged Rupert used to provide fake titles to Smith.
Police spokesman Troy Harris said police were still pursuing leads.
“We are still looking at suspects, the investigation is ongoing and continuing.”
So far police have recovered the Volkswagen Passat, which belonged to Antonio Brown, at an auction yard in Fredericksburg, Va.
Smith was released on his own recognizance; his trial date has been scheduled for Feb. 17, 2009. Rupert was being held on $75,000 bail at Central Booking; his trial has been set for Jan. 15.
