Scrap hauler nabbed for taking truck parts

By Patricia Bogumil

Editor

Proving once again that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, a scrap hauler is accused of stealing truck frame pieces from the Lynch Truck Center in Rochester that he reportedly thought were scrap material.

According to the criminal complaint filed Dec. 2 in Racine County Circuit Court:

County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the area of Milwaukee Avenue and Falcon Ridge Drive about 9:30 a.m., Dec. 1, where a City of Burlington officer was writing a citation to the driver of a truck carrying three large vehicle frame pieces.

The officer had earlier placed the truck’s passenger, Richard A. Fliess, 47, of Franksville, into the rear of the squad car, after a record check showed Fliess with three out-of-county warrants.

The driver of the truck told police that Fliess asked for his help in removing scrap pieces that Fliess had received permission to take from area businesses.

Fliess confirmed he had told the driver he had permission to take the parts, but reportedly also told police he actually did not have permission to remove the items from the Lynch lot, which he said he thought were all scrap.

A Lynch representative estimated the parts are worth $1,000. Each frame was positively identified as Lynch material by numbers painted on them.

Police report other items in the truck appeared to be taken from a Town of Burlington business.

Fliess is charged with misdemeanor theft as a repeat offender, and misdemeanor bail jumping as a repeat offender.

He was being held at the Racine County Jail, with outstanding warrants in place from Milwaukee County and the Pleasant Prairie and Muskego police departments.

Fliess made an initial appearance in Racine County Court Dec. 2, during which probable cause was found that he had committed the offenses with which he is charged.

He is next due in court Jan. 9 for a pretrial conference, followed by a status conference set for Jan. 31.

When arrested Dec. 2, Fliess was out on bond for a theft charge issued by Milwaukee County, which had issued a bench warrant for him in that case.

He is also being held in the Racine County Jail on four failure-to-pay commitments from Muskego and Pleasant Prairie.