Police: Man Fakes Repairs To Firetruck, Accepts $15K
WESTPORT, Mass. (CBS/AP) — Westport police say a Rhode Island mechanic faked repairs to a town's firetruck and pocketed the $15,000 in repair fees.
Thirty-two-year-old Thomas Reardon turned himself in Tuesday to face a charge of larceny by false pretenses.
The Westport Fire Department had hired the West Kingston, Rhode Island, man to repair a firetruck that had been damaged while responding to an emergency call in August 2017.
According to police, Reardon picked up the truck and returned it weeks later saying it was fixed. A few days later, crew members noticed the truck was leaking water worse than it was before the repairs.
In December of 2017, Reardon returned to the fire department to look at the pumper and admitted to firefighters that he didn't repair the truck, and instead covered rusty bolts with spray paint, said police.
"Mr. Reardon apologized for not doing any repairs and asked for time to repay the money he had been paid by the Town of Westport. In one of several emails back and forth with the Fire Department he stated that he was praying that the firefighters and the taxpayers grant him an extension to make things right," police said in a statement.
A few months later, Reardon suddenly stopped responding to calls and emails, and investigators discovered he had abandoned his business property.
He is expected to be arraigned on June 12.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)