2 Under Arrest After $100K Heist from N.Y. Roofing Contractor

Oct 23, 2024

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER on Unsplash.

1 MIN READ

Two men have been charged with stealing equipment from an Upstate New York roof company and crossing state lines to fence it.

According to a news release from the Orleans County, N.Y. Sheriff’s Office, Paul Rutherford Jr. and Cori Rutherford were arrested on the morning of Feb. 18 for allegedly stealing a trailer containing roofing equipment.

The duo reportedly stole an enclosed trailer from Lake Shore Metal in Ridgeway, N.Y., a rural town of roughly 6,500 near Lake Ontario, driving nearly 680 miles south to Conover, N.C., to receive a paltry $4,000. It seems doubtful the pair understood the value of their haul. The stolen roofing machine, used in making metal panels, is valued at over $102,000.

In addition to being charged for the theft, Rutherford Jr., 51, is charged with stealing diesel fuel, pumps and other equipment from Growmark FS Inc. in Ridgeway.

Both men were arraigned in Orleans County Court on Sept. 20 following the indictment's unsealing.

Rutherford, 27, was charged with Grand Larceny 2nd (C-Felony) and released on his own recognizance. Rutherford Jr. was charged with two counts of Grand Larceny 2nd (C-Felony), two counts of Grand Larceny 3rd (D Felony), Burglary 3rd (D-Felony), and Criminal Mischief 4th (A-Misdemeanor). He was held on a $25,000 cash $50,000 bond. He later posted bail and was released on the same day.

As part of this indictment, the New York State Police have charged Rutherford Jr. with a burglary and theft of diesel from Elder Trucking, located in Waterport, N.Y., and theft of a farm truck from Root Brother’s Farm in Barre, N.Y.

According to the sheriff’s office, Rutherford Jr. has been arrested more than 28 times since 1998 and has been convicted of four felonies in New York. He is accused of stealing about $200,000 worth of property in eight different cases since January.

Reach him at 248-244-6498 or [email protected].