GREENFIELD — A New Haven man was jailed Monday — about 16 months after a warrant was issued for his arrest — and now faces 44 charges related to a string of car thefts reported last year across central Indiana.
Dorian Parker, 25, 2439 Pittsburgh St., New Haven, is accused of making copies of car keys from dealerships across Central Indiana and then stealing the cars.
He faces one count of corrupt business influence, a Level 5 felony; 28 counts of forgery, a Level 6 felony; and 15 counts of auto theft, a Level 6 felony.
Officers said they believe Parker presented forged Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles paperwork to a local dealership when making a request for ignition keys for cars he pretended to own.
Over the course of three months, Parker visited Stanley Chevrolet, 5697 W. Broadway St. in McCordsville, at least 15 times; all told, he requested 28 ignition keys. He then used those keys to steal more than a dozen cars across the Indianapolis area, court records state. The thefts occurred between November 2014 and February 2015, according to court documents.
Car dealerships can cut ignition keys based on the vehicle identification number provided by the car’s registered owner; individuals must provide proof of identification and ownership in order for a dealership to create a duplicate key.
Every time Parker requested a key at Stanley Chevrolet, he presented an Indiana driver’s license and a registration certificate identifying him as the owner of the vehicle he was requesting the key for, according to court documents.
Staff at the dealership told police there was no reason to believe the paperwork Parker presented was forged.
Police began investigating Parker after a car was stolen from Pendleton Pike Auto Sales, 6492 W. Broadway St. in McCordsville. Officers were notified that a duplicate key had been made for the vehicle prior to the theft.
During the investigation, detectives obtained a list of recent duplicate key requests from the General Motors Security Division; that list led them to Stanley Chevrolet, where employees noted that Parker had made a number of requests in recent months, court records state.
A warrant for Parker’s arrest was issued in June of 2015, but detectives have not been able to locate him for more than a year. He was arrested Monday by a Hancock County Sheriff’s deputy.
A Level 5 felony carries a penalty of one to six years and up to $10,000 in fines. A Level 6 felony carries a penalty of six months to two and a half years and up to $10,000 in fines.
