On January 28, 2010, investigators with the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud and Auto Theft Unit arrested Ed Buie (W/M age 60) of Hammond, LA, on the charges of Forgery and Filing False Public Records. The arrest was the result of a joint investigation with the Hammond Police Department into fraudulent physical inspections.

In October 2009, LSP detectives assisted the Hammond Police Department with a search warrant on First Gear Motorsports, a motorcycle parts dealership owned and operated by Buie. The search recovered several stolen motorcycles in addition to motorcycle frames that had the serial numbers ground off. Investigators were then led to a residence outside of the Hammond city limits where Buie had placed several vehicles. One of the vehicles, a GMC pick-up truck, had been stripped and the V.I.N. plate and door stickers had been removed.

Further investigation revealed the GMC truck had been registered in 2008 as a reconstructed vehicle by Buie under the name of First Gear Motorsports. A reconstructed vehicle is one in which a salvage title has been issued, usually because it sustained considerable damage in wreck, but was rebuilt. The registration process requires a physical inspection to be performed by a law enforcement officer. The purpose of the physical inspection is to identify the vehicle and ensure it is not stolen or the V.I.N. plate has not been switched.

According to Office of Motor Vehicle records, between March and April 2008, Buie registered the GMC truck and two other vehicles as reconstructed vehicles. An examination of these records questioned the legitimacy of the physical inspections that were submitted to the Office of Motor Vehicles. Further investigation revealed the physical inspections were not legitimate and had been forged.

The investigation concluded that Buie forged the physical inspections and used them to register three vehicles with the OMV. Based on the investigation, an arrest warrant was obtained and on January 28, 2010, Buie was located at his residence and taken into custody without incident. Buie was charged with 3 counts each of Forgery and Filing False Public Records and booked into the Tangipahoa Parish jail.

Forged and bogus physical inspections have been problematic in Louisiana. In 2009, legislators took steps remedy this problem. Legislation was passed requiring that all law enforcement officers wishing to conduct physical inspection undergo a certification process administered by the Louisiana State Police. This process will help account for the officers conducting physical inspections and help prevent and catch individuals using fraudulent physical inspections to register vehicles. The new legislation goes into effect on July 1, 2010.

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TFC Nick Manale
Public Affairs Unit Troop L
Louisiana State Police

Hammond- On January 7, 2010, Louisiana State Police Region I Detectives were conducting surveillance near a Hancock bank in Hammond in relation to a fugitive investigation. While doing so, investigators observed a white male suspect being dropped off in a parking lot of a closed business. The suspect crossed the parking lot on foot and traveled across the street to the Hancock bank. After entering and leaving the bank a few minutes later, he walked back to the parking lot of the closed business and began looking around. Believing a crime possibly occurred due to his suspicious activity, he was stopped and interviewed.

The suspect produced a Texas driver’s license for John P. Terrell (W/M age 61) and stated that he had just cashed a check in the bank. The suspect was found to have $4,380.00 in cash in a bank envelope in his pocket. Having knowledge of a recent fraudulent check cashing scheme, the suspect was detained further to continue the investigation.

The investigation revealed the suspect successfully cashed a check from America’s Best Sign to John Terrell for $4,380.00. The check was determined to be fraudulent by Hancock Bank and the true identity of the suspect was discovered as Keith R. Hatley (W/M age 49), a parole violator from Texas for a 1981 homicide conviction. Hatley cooperated in the investigation and admitted to taking part in a fraudulent check cashing scheme. He was booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail as a fugitive from Texas and charged with Bank Fraud, Access Device Fraud, and Identity Theft.

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TFC Nick Manale
Public Affairs Unit Troop L