THOMAS EDWARD FITZPATRICK and CAMERON WILLIAM SWIFT PLED GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT

Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Missoula on April 24, 2007, before Chief U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, THOMAS EDWARD FITZPATRICK, d/b/a M&T Auto Body, a 56-year-old resident of Kalispell, and CAMERON WILLIAM SWIFT, a 40-year-old resident of Billings, pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to alter vehicle identification numbers, buy, receive or possess vehicles or vehicle parts knowing the identification numbers had been altered, and/or commit wire fraud by giving up vehicles and filing false insurance claims. Sentencing is set for September 28, 2007. They are currently released on special conditions.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

Beginning in approximately September of 1999, and continuing until at least April 2, 2002, FITZPATRICK, SWIFT, and several other individuals were involved in a chop-shop conspiracy. Some of the individuals stole vehicles, usually from automobile dealerships, and provided the vehicles to one of the other individuals. Other conspirators participated in "owner give-ups" of their vehicles by providing the keys to another person, and then filing false police reports asserting that the vehicles had been stolen. In addition to the police reports, the individuals who engaged in owner give-ups also filed false insurance claims in order to fraudulently obtain the proceeds of their policy coverage. FITZPATRICK, who ran M&T Auto Body, received many of the stolen and surrendered vehicles from these individuals.

On November 10, 2002, Flathead County Sheriff's officers executed a search warrant at FITZPATRICK'S M&T Auto Body property. At FITZPATRICK'S property, officers recovered the following vehicles or vehicle parts:

Chevrolet Camaro that had been reported stolen from Lithia Motors in Spokane on April 30, 2001;

Chevrolet pickup truck that been reported stolen from America West Auto Sales in Kalispell on May 25, 2001;

Nissan Pathfinder that had been reported stolen by one of the individuals involved in the conspiracy in Spokane on November 2, 2001;

Dodge Ram pickup truck that had been reported stolen by another of the individuals involved in the conspiracy in Spokane on November 27, 2001; and

Chevrolet Tahoe that had been reported stolen by Thrifty Car Rental in Spokane on April 21, 2001.

One of the individuals involved in the conspiracy was interviewed on several occasions by law enforcement and admitted to his involvement in the conspiracy. He described in detail his role in the theft and receipt of several vehicles and further described providing those vehicles to FITZPATRICK or another individual.

The individual described participating with two of the other co-conspirators in which one of the co-conspirators gave up his 1997 green Nissan Pathfinder. The individual and the co-conspirator traveled to Spokane on November 2, 2001, where the co-conspirator provided the individual with the keys to the Pathfinder, which he then later reported stolen. The co-conspirator proceeded to file an insurance claim on the "stolen" vehicle and the individual eventually provided the vehicle to FITZPATRICK. As noted above, the vehicle was recovered from M&T Auto Body during the November 10, 2002 search.

FITZPATRICK was also interviewed on several occasions. He initially denied knowledge that the vehicles found on his property were stolen, but eventually admitted that he knowingly received stolen vehicles from the individual, including the red Camaro and white Chevrolet pickup.

SWIFT was interviewed and admitted to stealing a 1995 Chevrolet pickup truck from Karl Tyler Chevrolet in Missoula on April 2, 2002. Prior to the theft, he had asked FITZPATRICK whether he could use a truck. He then traveled to Missoula with a female companion, stole the truck, and provided it to FITZPATRICK for approximately $800. He recalled that FITZPATRICK was upset that the vehicle had a manual transmission.

The female was interviewed on September 26, 2002, and described traveling with SWIFT to Missoula on April 2, 2002. She further described a conversation later with SWIFT during which he described his involvement in the "chopping" of cars. According to the female companion, SWIFT described obtaining vehicles for FITZPATRICK and others that could be used for parts and other repairs.

FITZPATRICK faces possible penalties of 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Racicot prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.

A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.

United States Attorney's Office for the District of Montana
P.O. Box 1478
Billings, MT 59103

CONTACT
Kurt Alme
First Assistant U.S. Attorney
(406) 246-4669