Akron Man Charged in Chop Shop Operation

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio
November 17, 2010

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Daniel C. Ott, Sr., age 71, of Akron, with one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and two counts of operating and aiding and abetting the operation of an automobile chop shop, Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today.

Ronald J. Mysyk, age 61, of Cleveland, is also charged with two counts of operating and aiding and abetting the operation of a chop shop.

The superseding indictment charges that between April 3, 2009, and May 7, 2010, in the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, and elsewhere, Ott and Mysyk knowingly operated and aided and abetted the operation of chop shops located at 7609 Carter Road, Sagamore Hills, Ohio, and 107 Northfield Road, Bedford, Ohio.

The superseding indictment further charges that on or about November 29, 2009, Ott transported from Medina County, Ohio, to Pennsylvania, an Ingersol Rand compressor valued at $5,000 or more, knowing that it had been stolen.

If convicted, the defendants sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Kall, following an investigation by the Youngstown Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force.

A superseding indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.