Shop Owner Hides, Then Steals Dead Man’s Porsche
A Porsche should be earned, not sneakily stolen.
While some of us might be lucky enough to inherit a Porsche or the money needed to purchase one, most folks have to work and save up the cash to do so. But there is a third, alternative route to Porsche ownership – steal one. This isn’t your typical car jacking or parking lot theft, however. We’re talking about one of the sneakiest (attempted) car thefts in recent history.
Back in 2012, an man dropped off his 1978 911 at 21st Century Auto Body in New Windsor, New York for some repairs. Shortly thereafter, the Porsche owner suddenly and unexpectedly passed away. But instead of talking to the man’s spouse about settling the bill and returning the car, the shop’s owner, 53-year-old Patrick J. Torpey, hid it from her instead.
According to the New Windsor Police Department and The Hudson Valley Post, Torpey filed what is known as a “Garagemans Lein” for unpaid services on the Porsche. Of course, the shop owner is legally required to notify the owner and sell the vehicle in this case, but obviously neither happened. Instead, a new title of ownership was generated in Torpey’s name.
Thankfully, the 911’s whereabouts finally came to light last year and he was promptly arrested. Along with grand larceny, Torpey is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, five counts of falsifying business records, four counts of offering a false instrument for filing, and perjury.
Perhaps even more strange than the crime itself is the fact that Torpey thought he would get away with it. The owner’s wife clearly wasn’t going to give up on her deceased husband’s beloved Porsche, and we hope the courts take a similarly tough approach on Torpey.
