Suncoast man Arrested for Illegal Dumping, Making False Report to Law Enforcement – Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
CCSI
A man was arrested for illegal dumping and for reporting a trailer as stolen after he got it stuck in the mud during the crime.
At approximately 5:00pm on Sunday, March 2, a CCSO deputy responded to a lot on Pipefish Court in Placida in reference to a large pile of trash having been dumped and a trailer stuck in the mud. A witness informed the deputy that he had seen a truck pulling another truck out of the mud that appeared to have been stuck before both vehicles departed, leaving the trash and trailer behind. The witness was able to provide a general description of the trucks and the subjects, and the trailer was towed away. Later that day, CCSO received a report from Andrew Robert Samuel Cowan (01/03/2003) stating that the trailer had been stolen from his residence at 7100 Janette Street in Englewood.
As a detective began to investigate the dumping scene, he was able to locate items among the trash with shipping labels that matched the registered owner of the trailer. As he met with the owner, the detective was advised that the trailer had been loaned to Cowan on March 2. Prior to taking it, Cowan was informed that there was trash in the back that would need to be discarded, which Cowan said he would handle.
The investigation found that Cowan had dumped the trash in the lot on Pipefish Court, subsequently getting the trailer stuck in the process. Cowan returned to the registered owner’s address and asked to borrow a truck, advising he had gotten the trailer stuck. By the time he returned to the lot, the trailer had already been towed. Following that, Cowan called CCSO and reported that the trailer had been stolen, saying it had been taken from his residence.
“We take illegal dumping very seriously, because that is something that takes away from the beauty of Charlotte County. We are so blessed to be here in paradise, and my deputies will continue to work hard to keep our community free of this type of eyesore. There is no excuse good enough for attempting to turn the place we all live, work, and play into your own personal dump.”
Sheriff Bill Prummell
The detective located Cowan at his place of employment and presented the findings of his investigation. At that time, Cowan confessed to both the illegal dumping and filing a false report. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Charlotte County Jail.