Vehicle's sale stirs 2 separate probes

A town of Watertown used-car dealer sold an apparently untitled vehicle to Jefferson County Sheriff John P. Burns, triggering a criminal investigation as well as a separate probe by the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Kevin J. Caldwell, who operates KC Autosales, 19208 Route 11, was the subject of a DMV hearing Wednesday in Watertown, Sheriff Burns said. Mr. Burns added that as he is a complainant in the case against Mr. Caldwell, he does not understand why he was not "invited" to testify at Wednesday's hearing.

Mr. Caldwell declined comment to the Times.

A spokesman for the DMV said Thursday he cannot comment about his agency's action because the case remains open. The hearing judge will file his ruling within 45 days, the spokesman said.

The web of alleged "inappropriate handling of paperwork involving the trade or sale" of cars, as the sheriff described it, began to unravel after Mr. Burns in October 2007 purchased for $1,500 a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero for a family member. He said Mr. Caldwell issued a 45-day temporary registration sticker, which dealers can routinely do while registration documents are processed.

When the temporary registration expired, Mr. Caldwell had not come up with the car's original title, Mr. Burns said. He had to obtain documents to get a title authorization, and after that was accomplished, Mr. Caldwell did finally acquire a title, Mr. Burns said.

The initial failure by the dealer to obtain the car's original title revealed to authorities that third parties, the people being investigated for grand larceny, were obtaining sales lot vehicles from DealMaker and delivering them to Mr. Caldwell for his business, the sheriff said. The third parties appeared to be cheating DealMaker while conducting their business with the used-car dealer, he said.

Sheriff Burns said his department's investigation involving the theft of cash and "possibly vehicles" has been completed and turned over to the district attorney's office for possible grand jury action, he said.

The criminal investigation focused on people other than Mr. Caldwell, the sheriff said.