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On the Tuesday, March 26th, a twenty-five foot boat was reported dumped on 15th Street in the City of Niagara Falls. The boat’s motor had been removed and Identifying information, including the Hull Identification Number (HIN), and the State Registration Numbers, had been defaced. The name of the boat, “Road Rage,” remained on each side of the boat. A story of the dumping appeared in the ‘Niagara Gazette’ on March 30, which led to Investigator Peinkofer receiving an anonymous tip regarding the incident.

Investigators Peinkofer & Piwko secured video footage from security cameras at a Transport Company in the Town of Niagara. He also interviewed employees at the company who told him that another employee, David Smouse, had used a maintenance truck bay there to grind off the HIN number and to remove the boat’s motor. Smouse has since been terminated from the transportation company.

Working with the City of Niagara Falls Police Department and the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office, Inv. Peinkofer drew up paperwork charging David M. Smouse, 53 of Niagara Falls New York, with Forgery of a Vehicle Identification Number, and Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, both Penal Law felonies. He also charged Smouse with Unlawful Disposal of Solid Waste in excess of Ten Cubic Yards, an Environmental Conservation Regulation Misdemeanor. The City of Niagara Falls Police have charged Smouse with a violation of a City Ordinance which prohibits unlawful dumping.

Smouse is accused of taking the boat to 15th Street on a trailer sometime after 1:30 AM on the 26th, connecting a chain to the boat and the other end to a tree, then pulling the trailer out from under the boat, leaving the boat laying in the middle of the road.

On Tuesday April 16th, Smouse surrendered himself to the Niagara Falls Police to receive his summons for the city ordinance. Smouse was also arraigned in City Court for the State misdemeanor charge. From there, EnCon Police transported Smouse to the Town of Niagara where he was arraigned on the two felony charges. Smouse was ordered to appear in the City of Niagara Falls on April 22nd and the Town of Niagara on May 20th to face his charges.