# Ambulance With Stolen Chassis



## Jon (Apr 2, 2005)

*Vermont EMS will have to Re-Negotiate the Purchase of an Ambulance that had a Stolen Chassis*

ASSOCIATED PRESS


BARRE, Vt. (AP) -- The town emergency medical services will have to re-negotiate the purchase of an ambulance it bought last year after the Alabama dealer who sold it was charged with fraud, officials say. 

Police in Huntsville, Ala., charged James F. Agnew, 38, with six counts of first-degree theft, Huntsville Police Investigator Jerry Trew said Monday. Agnew is owner of Innovative Coachworks, an ambulance manufacturing company. 

Agnew allegedly sold ambulances with stolen chassis. 

''This is a long reaching fraud investigation involving a number of states,'' said Mike Ponzo, the agent in charge of the Huntsville office of the FBI. ''We'll be coordinating with Huntsville police, but there is definitely a potential for federal prosecution.'' 

Trew said a Ford dealership in Huntsville has reported the theft of several chassis valued at about $145,466. 

Barre Town EMS Director Dave Jennings said Tuesday he bought an ambulance from Agnew last September for $63,834 and drove it back to Vermont. He said he matched the vehicle inspection number to the paperwork and didn't find any problems. 

Jennings said he was called Tuesday by Alabama police. 

''I found out the chassis were stolen,'' Jennings said. 

He said it was his understanding that Agnew had failed to repay a loan and had not deliberately tried to steal the chassis. 


Whole Article HERE: http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/a...nId=17&id=40581


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